Ethiopia Advocates Regional Financing Frameworks to Address Africa’s Shared Financial Vulnerabilities

Addis Ababa, February 10, 2026 (FMC) — National Bank of Ethiopia Governor Eyob Tekalign called for the establishment of Africa-wide regional financing arrangements, citing persistent constraints in African countries’ access to global financial safety nets.

Speaking on the second day of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies, Governor Eyob addressed a high-level roundtable held under the theme “Strengthening the Global Financial Safety Net – Rapid, Reliable Liquidity for Resilience.”

He said access to the Global Financial Safety Net remains severely constrained for African countries.

Governor Eyob noted that many African economies are currently forced to rely almost exclusively on their own international reserves and support from the International Monetary Fund.

In this context, he emphasized the need to establish institutional regional financing mechanisms among African countries.

He said such arrangements should be tailored to the continent’s shared vulnerabilities while remaining integrated with the broader layers of the Global Financial Safety Net, particularly as external financing continues to decline.

Governor Eyob also expressed support for a realignment of the IMF quota system, saying an increase is necessary for countries such as Ethiopia, whose current quota shares do not reflect their economic fundamentals or the scale of ongoing structural reforms.

The roundtable brought together global financial leaders, including IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank Managing Director Anna Bjerde, and central bank governors from Armenia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Pakistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, among others.