Bloomberg-Backed Training Seeks Boosting Financial Journalism


A new financial journalism training program expected to boost the country's emerging capital markets kicked off last week. The initiative, a partnership between Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa (BMIA), Addis Abeba University, and Unity University, seeks to equip journalists with the tools to accurately and comprehensively report on the country's financial landscape. The seven-month training program is expected to start in September. It has been in the works for over a year following an invitation from the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA) and offers a comprehensive curriculum covering financial reporting, data analysis, and economic policy. Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, with support from the Ford Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the training is BMIA's signature program, developed to increase the pipeline of skilled financial journalists and analysts embracing a data-driven journalism culture across Africa. It was launched at Hyatt Regency, and saw the attendance of officials such as Hana Tehelku, director general of the Ethiopian Capital Markets Authority, and Aguil Deng senior program manager at Bloomberg LP. According to Christine Mwangi, secretariat director of Strathmore Business School, trainees will benefit from the expertise of business journalists and industry leaders, as well as hands-on experience with the Bloomberg Terminal while philanthropic partners are covering the tuition and program costs, ensuring accessibility.


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Central Bank's Auction Sends Dollar Soaring to 135 Br

A dollar value against the Birr exceeds 135 during an auction the Central Bank held last week, offering 60 million dollars. Close to 27 banks made their bid where the weighted average was 135.61 Br for a dollar. The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) announced the results of the special foreign exchange auction, the second since monetary authorities floated the forex regime in early August last year. Last week's result reflects a weaker Birr than in the first when the average rate was 107.9 Br....


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Ethio Telecom Bids to Dominate Ethiopia's Digital Future

An array of services from digital livestock tracking, push-to-talk/video communications to cloud-based banking, an education management system (EMS), and enterprise resource Planning (ERP) are available from the state-owned Ethio telecom. Ethio telecom has introduced seven new cloud-based digital services last week at the Skylight Hotel, on Africa Avenue (Bole Road), pledging to transform business operations, financial services, and education management. The company said that these solutions...


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Addis International Convention Centre Inaugurates

The much-anticipated Addis International Convention Centre, spanning 40 hectares, was officially inaugurated last week. It is set to become the country's largest conference venue, designed to host both national and international events. The centre features two large halls, each accommodating 3,000 to 4,000 people. It also includes eight smaller meeting rooms, bringing its total capacity to 10,000 attendees. Two hotels, with a combined 1,000-bed capacity, will serve both local and internationa...