Central Bank Launches Youth Enterprise Forum

Mar 2 , 2024


[ssba-buttons]

A financial education program targeting youth and Medium & Small Enterprises (MSMEs) was launched by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) last week. It aims to equip interested trainees with personal and professional knowledge through experts from banks and microfinance institutions who will provide comprehensive training. The training modules, developed in collaboration with The First Consult and BRIDGE, cover several angles of financial literacy, including deposits, digital financial services, loans, insurance and budgeting. The initiative was unveiled at an event held at an Inter-luxury Hotel. Martha Hailemariam, from the central bank, emphasised that the module is designed to increase the financial service literacy of youth and MSMEs to 75pc by 2025. Henok Tena, the head of the program at First Consult, highlighted the substantial financial gap faced by MSMEs, estimating it at 6.1 billion dollars. He emphasised that factors such as financial literacy, a lack of innovative products, liquidity challenges, and collateral have constrained over two million enterprises in the country.   Editors' Note: The article was updated from its original form on March 7, 2024.


Radar

Bank of Abyssinia Signs Partnership with Droga Cooperative

Bank of Abyssinia has entered into a partnership agreement with Droga Health & Financial Savings and Credit Cooperative to provide financial support and services for its members. The agreement was signed yesterday at the Bank's headquarters. The deal aims to strengthen collaboration between the two institutions, enabling cooperative members to access tailored banking services. It was signed by Wosenyeleh Abera, Deputy CEO for Customer Relations and Marketing at the bank, and Zelalem Yilma...


Radar

Wegagen Introduces Real Time SWIFT Tracking

Wegagen Bank has launched a new mobile app feature enabling customers to track international SWIFT payments in real time. The bank is the first in Ethiopia to introduce an online SWIFT payment tracking system. By integrating SWIFT Global Payment Innovation, customers, particularly those involved in import-export trade, can monitor cross-border transactions using a Unique End-to-End Transaction Reference (UETR) directly from their smartphones. To use the service, customers select the SWIFT...


Radar

National ID, Zambia Partners to Expands Program Reach

The National ID Program has signed an agreement with Zambia's counterpart to provide consulting services for the development of software that will issue digital IDs. It is the first time the institution has extended its expertise beyond national borders, a sign of growing recognition for its rapid progress. Program officials described the partnership as a milestone in their effort to position themselves as a regional player in digital transformation. The collaboration is expected to center...