Viewpoints | May 16,2026
Central bank governor Yinager Dessie (PhD) (centre) shares a lighthearted moment with the founding management team of Ahadu Bank S.C., the latest addition to the banking industry. Mekonnen Semu (left), vice board chairperson; Eshetu Fantaye (second from left), president; Anteneh Sebsebie (second from right), board chairperson; and Tigabu Haileyesus, board director, appeared to be in a good disposition coming out on the other end of a two-year journey since promoters began raising equity from the public.
Ahadu Bank joined the industry with three branches, distinguished for their deep black-and-red layouts, with a plan to open 47 more by October. It has a subscribed capital of 702 million Br, with 80pc paid from around 10,000 shareholders. It plans to reach the five billion Birr minimum paid-up capital threshold in three years, as required by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE). The journey to opening its doors to the public has not been without challenges. COVID-19 and political instability have made mobilising equity demanding, according to Board Chairperson Anteneh. The future promises significant challenges to Ahadu, a Ge'ez word for "one". With a slowing economy and inflation pushing real savings rates into the negative, mobilising deposits is a task of the highest order.
A major obstacle will be the shortage of finance professionals as the number of banks grows. Poaching has become standard practice, particularly to fill up senior positions. The competition for limited talent is pushing up salaries and benefits as banks attempt to one-up each other. Given the heavy reliance on physical offices for savings mobilisation, charming the skilled workforce will keep Ahadu's founding management team's nose to the grindstone.
You can read the full story here
PUBLISHED ON
Jul 17,2022 [ VOL
23 , NO
1159]
Viewpoints | May 16,2026
Fortune News | May 24,2025
Delicate Number | May 02,2026
Fortune News | Mar 04,2023
Fortune News | Jan 17,2026
Delicate Number | Oct 25,2025
Radar | Aug 13,2022
Fortune News | Oct 05,2025
Fortune News | May 27,2023
View From Arada | Jun 04,2022
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Jun 13 , 2026
The recent policy decision to fully open freight forwarding to foreign capital may be...
Jun 6 , 2026
For a political veteran as controversial as Getachew Reda, last week's national elect...
May 30 , 2026
Tomorrow, millions of Ethiopians are expected to vote in the seventh national electio...
May 23 , 2026
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team has spent weeks in Addis Abeba conducting t...