Banking Leaders, Regulators and World Know-how Innovators Unite to Speed up Ethiopia’s Digital Monetary Transformation
12 August 2026 | Ethiopian Skylight Resort, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – 12 August 2026 – Ethiopia at present welcomed certainly one of Africa’s premier banking and monetary expertise gatherings because the twenty ninth Related Banking Summit & Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 formally opened on the prestigious Ethiopian Skylight Resort.
Organised by the Worldwide Middle for Strategic Alliances (ICSA), the summit has introduced collectively an influential gathering of banking leaders, central financial institution representatives, regulators, policymakers, fintech innovators, expertise suppliers, cybersecurity specialists, and digital transformation pioneers from throughout Ethiopia, East Africa, and the broader area.
Held beneath the theme “Constructing Digital Monetary Programs and Accelerating Banking Modernization in Rising Markets,” the summit serves as a strategic platform for trade collaboration, data alternate, and innovation as Ethiopia continues to modernise its monetary sector and develop entry to safe, inclusive, and technology-driven banking companies.
As a part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the globally recognised Related Banking Summit collection, this landmark version continues ICSA’s legacy of delivering government platforms that foster significant dialogue, strategic partnerships, and innovation throughout the worldwide banking and monetary companies ecosystem.
Ethiopia’s Banking Sector at a Defining Second
Ethiopia’s monetary companies trade is coming into one of the vital transformative intervals in its historical past. Regulatory reforms, fast digital adoption, increasing fintech innovation, and growing demand for safe, customer-centric banking options are reshaping the nation’s monetary panorama.
In opposition to this backdrop, the twenty ninth Related Banking Summit offers a well timed discussion board for decision-makers to debate the applied sciences, methods, and partnerships that can outline the way forward for banking.
All through the summit, delegates are exploring key subjects together with:
- Digital Banking Transformation
- Core Banking Modernisation
- Actual-Time Funds and Cost Interoperability
- Synthetic Intelligence and Clever Automation
- Cybersecurity and Digital Belief
- Open Banking and Open Finance
- Digital Identification and e-KYC
- Cloud Transformation
- Monetary Inclusion
- Regulatory Innovation and Compliance
- Buyer Expertise and Digital Engagement
- Knowledge, Analytics and Rising Applied sciences
These discussions align carefully with Ethiopia’s Nationwide Digital Funds Technique and the nation’s long-term imaginative and prescient of constructing a resilient, inclusive, and digitally empowered monetary ecosystem.
The programme options keynote shows, government panel discussions, hearth conversations, case research, expertise showcases, and high-level networking periods designed to encourage collaboration between banks, regulators, fintech corporations, and expertise suppliers.
Distinguished Trade Leaders Driving the Dialog
The summit welcomes an distinctive lineup of audio system representing Ethiopia’s main monetary establishments, regulatory authorities, and expertise organisations, together with:
- Temesgen Busha – Chief Transformation Officer, Awash Financial institution
- Dr. Andualem Hailu – Deputy CEO, Technique & Know-how, Hibret Financial institution
- Muluken Demessie – Chief Retail & SME Banking Officer, Nib Worldwide Financial institution
- Tadesse Hatiya – President, Sidama Financial institution
- Assefa Amere – Chief Officer, Data Know-how Workplace, Addis Financial institution S.C.
- Saminas S. – Chief Advertising & Communications Officer and Director of Stakeholder Engagement, Nationwide ID Ethiopia
- Seyoum Damtew Metaferia – Vice President, Data System Safety, Industrial Financial institution of Ethiopia
- Mengistu Endalamaw – Director, Digital Banking, Industrial Financial institution of Ethiopia
- Gutama Ashana – Director, Data Safety Administration, Awash Financial institution
- Tewodros Abay – Director, Acceptance Community, Financial institution of Abyssinia
- Yonas L. – Director, IT Threat & Cyber Safety, Hibret Financial institution
- Mengistu Gemechu – Director of Technique, Cooperative Financial institution of Oromia
- Temesgen Taye – Director of Cyber Safety, Cooperative Financial institution of Oromia
- Mekdes Bekele – Director, Digital Banking Division, World Financial institution Ethiopia
- Biruk W. – Director, Data Know-how Safety, Abay Financial institution S.C.
- Nejib (Ahmed) Aliyi – Director, Innovation and Technique, Rammis Financial institution.
- Khalid Ahmed – Director, Software & Database Administration, Rammis Financial institution
- Ermoniem Brhanu Balcha – Digital Innovation & Partnership Division Head, Berhan Financial institution
- Solomon Damtew – Director, Banking, Funds & Settlements, Nationwide Financial institution of Ethiopia
- Fikru Tsegaye Wordofa – Member of the Board of Administrators, Ethiopian Securities Alternate (ESX)
These distinguished leaders are joined by senior executives, policymakers, regulators, and expertise specialists who’re collectively shaping the way forward for Ethiopia’s monetary companies trade.
World Know-how Companions Supporting Banking Innovation
The twenty ninth Version of the Related Banking Summit is proudly supported by main world expertise organisations dedicated to accelerating monetary innovation.
Thunes
Because the summit’s Gold Sponsor, Thunes is a world cross-border funds infrastructure firm connecting banks, cellular wallets, fee suppliers, and monetary establishments throughout rising and developed markets. By means of its in depth world community, Thunes allows safe, real-time funds to billions of financial institution accounts and cellular wallets worldwide, serving to monetary establishments simplify worldwide funds and develop monetary entry.
ManageEngine
Supporting the summit because the Affiliate Sponsor, ManageEngine, the enterprise IT administration division of Zoho Company, delivers a complete portfolio of IT administration, id and entry administration, cybersecurity, endpoint administration, and community operations options trusted by enterprises and monetary establishments all over the world.
Their participation displays the rising confidence of world expertise suppliers in Ethiopia’s quickly evolving banking ecosystem and highlights the significance of strategic collaboration in driving digital transformation.
Celebrating Excellence By means of the Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026
Probably the most anticipated highlights of the summit is the Related Banking Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026, recognising organisations and visionary leaders which have demonstrated distinctive achievement in remodeling the banking and monetary companies trade.
The awards rejoice excellence throughout a number of classes, recognising establishments which have efficiently leveraged expertise, innovation, and customer-centric methods to redefine banking.
The awards honour excellence in areas together with:
- Digital Banking Innovation
- Banking Management
- Digital Transformation
- Buyer Expertise Excellence
- Funds Innovation
- Monetary Inclusion
- Synthetic Intelligence in Banking
- Cybersecurity Excellence
- Fintech Collaboration
- Open Banking Innovation
- Threat Administration
- Sustainable Banking Initiatives
The Innovation & Excellence Awards have turn out to be one of the vital revered recognitions inside the Related Banking Summit collection, celebrating establishments and leaders whose imaginative and prescient and dedication proceed to set new benchmarks for banking excellence throughout Africa.
A Catalyst for Africa’s Banking Transformation
Through the years, the Related Banking Summit has established itself as one of many banking trade’s most revered government management platforms.
The collection has efficiently linked hundreds of banking leaders, regulators, policymakers, fintech innovators, and expertise suppliers throughout Africa, the Center East, Europe, and Asia, creating alternatives for collaboration which have accelerated digital transformation all through the monetary companies sector.
By facilitating strategic dialogue between private and non-private sector stakeholders, the summit continues to contribute meaningfully to the event of resilient, safe, inclusive, and future-ready monetary ecosystems.
As discussions proceed all through the day, delegates will alternate strategic insights, discover rising applied sciences, and forge partnerships that can assist form the way forward for banking in Ethiopia and throughout the African continent.
The summit will conclude with the distinguished Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026, celebrating the organisations and leaders whose imaginative and prescient, innovation, and dedication are remodeling monetary companies throughout Africa.
In regards to the Worldwide Middle for Strategic Alliances (ICSA)
The Worldwide Middle for Strategic Alliances (ICSA) is a globally recognised organisation specialising in government management conferences, strategic enterprise summits, and trade boards that join decision-makers throughout banking, monetary companies, telecommunications, healthcare, power, public sector, cybersecurity, and rising applied sciences.
By means of its flagship Related Banking Summit collection and different internationally recognised occasions, ICSA offers high-level platforms the place policymakers, regulators, enterprise leaders, innovators, and expertise suppliers collaborate to alternate data, construct strategic partnerships, and speed up digital transformation throughout industries.
Pushed by its imaginative and prescient to Join, Combine and Rework, ICSA continues to create significant enterprise ecosystems that encourage innovation and ship measurable influence worldwide.
Media Contact
Worldwide Middle for Strategic Alliances (ICSA)
📧 [email protected]
📞 +44 20 3808 8625
🌐 www.connected-banking.com
📍 Ethiopian Skylight Resort, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia