Ethio telecom Taps Africa Finance Corporation to Accelerate Digital Ethiopia 2030 Goals

Ethio telecom has introduced high-level strategic talks with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) to develop a transformative financing partnership aimed at improving Ethiopia's digital infrastructure and connectivity goals. 

This discussion, which took place at Addis Ababa, was led by Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru and AFC President and CEO Samaila Zubairu, focusing on supporting Ethio Telecom's newly launched "Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028” strategy. Here is an ambitious roadmap built on the success of the company's previous transformation programs, titled BRIDGE and LEAD, which demonstrated strong institutional resilience and execution capability.

Frehiwot stated that the new approach is in line with the larger Digital Ethiopia 2030 roadmap and emphasized the critical role that Ethiopian telecom is playing in furthering the Digital Ethiopia 2025 mission. It is predicted that the collaboration under discussion will use its digital infrastructure.

The AFC, which was established to fill the funding need for infrastructure in Africa, has a history of assisting important telecom and digital economy developments around the continent. Its participation is set to benefit Ethiopian Telecom's strategic plan by contributing not just funding but also advisory knowledge and local investment networks.

Ethiopian telecom's desire for external funding aligns with broader trends in the African telecom market, where operators are increasingly turning to foreign financial partners to fund investments in digital platforms, mobile financial services, and next-generation networks. A partnership like this will help Ethiopian telecom scale services such as Telebirr, the country's top mobile money platform, and increase high-speed connectivity in both urban and rural areas.