Digital Life Insurance Launch, Promising Expansion and 13,000 Jobs


Digital Life Insurance Launch, Promising Expansion and 13,000 Jobs

Ethio-Life & General Insurance and Lumia Technologies have launched Lumina, Ethiopia's first fully digital life insurance platform. Leveraging the Fayda national ID for hassle-free mobile registration, Lumina offers coverage up to 750,000 Birr, with premiums starting at 415 Birr. It features rapid claims processing, flexible beneficiary options, and supports multiple local languages, including Amharic, Afaan Oromo, Somali, and Tigrigna. Shimelis Gedlegiorgis, CEO of Ethio-Life and General Insurance, stated, "Lumina marks the first instance in Ethiopian insurance history where individuals can purchase life insurance solely using their mobile phone." Currently, fewer than 400,000 Ethiopians hold life insurance policies, and the insurance sector contributes less than 1pc to the country's GDP. Lumina is expected to bridge this gap by providing coverage to 3.2 million people over the next five years and generating over 13,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities. Out of the 18 insurance companies, only 13 offer life insurance services. A 2020 study by the NBE, revealed that 55 pC of Ethiopian insurance companies maintain their branches in Addis Abeba.

[ssba-buttons]

Radar

Coffee Hub Illu Ababor Targets Bigger Share in Global Market

Illu Ababor Zone supplied more than 51,000 tons of coffee to the central market in the 2024/25 fiscal year, Deputy Administrator Mohammed Teha reported. The effort is part of the "Neqemte Initiative," designed to promote production, productivity, and quality in top foreign exchange earner. The zone spans over 700,000 hectares, including 300,000 hectares of newly planted and rehabilitated coffee and 400,000 hectares of wild varieties, cementing its role as a major coffee hub. Officials highlig...


Radar

From Loan to Tap, Ministry Secures Water Infrastructure Funds

The Ministry of Water & Energy has signed a cooperation framework with China Exim Bank, facilitated by contractor CGCOC, securing a 100 million dollars loan. State Minister for Drinking Water & Sanitation Ambassador Asfaw Dingamo (PhD) said the funding will finance water supply and sanitation infrastructure in five cities: Holeta in Oromia, Areka in the South, Inseno and Tora in Central Ethiopia, and Mizan Aman in the South...


Radar

Bureau Rolls Out QR-Enabled IDs for Inspectors

The Addis Abeba Revenues Bureau has equipped inspectors with QR (quick response) code-integrated ID cards to curb fraud and improve transparency. Launched in Mercato, the system lets merchants verify inspectors' identities via smartphone, deterring impersonation and extortion. Bureau head Biniyam Mikiru said the move strengthens technology-backed oversight and shields compliant taxpayers. Inspectors will also wear new uniforms to distinguish them from impostors. Merchants praised the reform, say...