29th Connected Banking Summit – Ethiopia 2026 Concludes Successfully, Driving Ethiopia’s Digital Banking Future

Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 12 August 2026

The 29th Connected Banking Summit – Ethiopia | Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 concluded successfully on 12 August 2026 at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa, bringing together senior leaders from banking, financial services, regulation, technology, cybersecurity and digital finance to explore the technologies, policies and partnerships shaping Ethiopia’s next phase of financial-sector transformation.

Organised by the International Center for Strategic Alliances (ICSA), the summit provided a high-level platform for industry leaders and decision-makers to exchange insights and address the opportunities and challenges shaping Ethiopia’s evolving financial ecosystem.

The programme placed a strong focus on payments modernization, digital banking, cybersecurity, financial inclusion, digital identity, E-KYC, cloud transformation, digital credit and banking innovation, reflecting the critical priorities driving the country’s digital financial transformation.

Distinguished Leadership & Strategic Voices

The summit opened with the inaugural keynote, “Ethiopia’s Financial Sector Vision – Stability, Reform & Innovation,” delivered by Seyoum Mengesha Tachie – CEO, Digital Economy Development, Ministry of Innovation & Technology, setting the strategic context for Ethiopia’s financial-sector transformation.

The summit also featured senior voices from across Ethiopia’s regulatory, banking and digital-finance ecosystem, including:

• Solomon Damtew Metaferia – Director, Banking and Payment Systems Directorate, National Bank of Ethiopia
• Yoseph Kibret – Chairman, Ethiopian Digital Financial Service Providers Association (EDFSPA)
• Seyoum Damtew – Vice President, Information System Security, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
• Fikru Tsegaye Wordofa – Member, Board of Directors, Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX)
• Tadesse Hatiya – Chief Executive Officer / President, Sidama Bank S.C.
• Daniel Parreira – SVP Sales – Africa, Thunes
• Djamil Jaddoo – Territory Manager – IOI, SADC & East African Countries, MBCOM Technologies (Broadcom Representative)
• Assefa Amere – Chief Information Technology Officer, Addis Bank S.C.
• Hassen Mohammed Ali – Senior Chief Retail Banking & Digitalization Officer, Hijra Bank S.C.
• Muluken Demessie – Chief Retail and SME Banking Officer, Nib International Bank S.C.
• Theodros Tadesse – Vice President Digital and Branch Banking, Tsedey Bank S.C.
• Kalkidan Mandefro – Director, Digital Banking & Innovation, Dashen Bank S.C.
• Gutama Ashana – Director, Information Security Management, Awash Bank S.C.
• Mengistu Gemechu – Director for Strategy, Cooperative Bank of Oromia S.C.
• Temesgen Taye – Director of Cyber Security, Cooperative Bank of Oromia S.C.
• Biruk Worku – Director Information Technology Security, Abay Bank S.C.
• Abdiselam Mohamed – Director, Digital Banking, Hijra Bank S.C.
• Robel Arega – Director, IT Infrastructure Department, Dashen Bank S.C.
• Bekalu Mamo – Director, IT Infrastructure Management Directorate, Awash Bank S.C.
• Khalid Ahmed – Director, Application and Database Administration, Rammis Bank S.C.
• Ermoniem Brhanu Balcha – Digital Innovation and Partnership Division Head, Berhan Bank S.C.
• Yibeltal Argacho – Manager, Digital Lending and Follow Up Division, Awash Bank S.C.
• Dawit Sernessa – Sr. Manager Trading Operations, Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX).

Their collective participation reflected the growing convergence between financial institutions, regulators, technology providers and digital innovators in shaping Ethiopia’s financial future.

Key Industry Conversations

The summit featured a comprehensive programme of executive panels, strategic discussions and industry presentations focused on the most pressing priorities for Ethiopia’s financial sector.

The session “Payments Modernization & Interoperability in Ethiopia”, led by Solomon Damtew, explored the evolution of payment systems and the importance of interoperability in strengthening the country’s digital financial ecosystem. The conversation was complemented by Daniel Parreira, SVP Sales Africa, Thunes, who examined cross-border money movement across Africa.

The Power Panel – “Building a Safe, Inclusive & Digitally Enabled Banking Ecosystem” brought together leaders from National ID Ethiopia, Cooperative Bank of Oromia, Awash Bank, Hijra Bank and Dashen Bank to discuss the priorities required to build a secure, accessible and digitally enabled banking ecosystem.

The programme also featured “AI Powered Zero Trust and Proactive Security”, with Seyoum Damtew highlighting the growing importance of proactive cybersecurity as digital banking adoption accelerates.

Reimagining Banking Through Digital Transformation

The session “Beyond Digital Transformation: Reimagining Banking in Emerging Markets”, led by Assefa Amere, Chief Information Technology Officer, Addis Bank S.C., explored the changing priorities of technology-led banking transformation.

The programme further examined Banking Core Modernization & Cloud Transformation, alongside discussions around digital identity, E-KYC, financial inclusion, digital banking, SME financing and digital credit expansion.

These conversations highlighted the role of digital technologies in widening financial access, improving customer experiences and creating new opportunities for customers and businesses across Ethiopia.

Cybersecurity, Data Protection & Digital Trust

Cybersecurity and digital trust emerged as critical priorities throughout the summit.

The Strategic Leadership Panel – “Cybersecurity, Data Protection & Digital Trust” brought together senior cybersecurity leaders from Cooperative Bank of Oromia, Hibret Bank, Abay Bank and MBCOM Technologies, focusing on security, resilience and trust across the digital financial ecosystem.

The summit reinforced the importance of building secure and resilient financial systems capable of supporting Ethiopia’s continued digital transformation.

Executive Leadership: The Future of Banking in Ethiopia

The Executive Leadership Panel – “The Future of Banking Transformation in Ethiopia” brought together senior representatives from Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), Berhan Bank, Gadaa Bank, Awash Bank and Dashen Bank to explore the strategic and technological shifts shaping the future of banking in Ethiopia.

The discussion reflected the sector’s increasing focus on technology modernization, digital customer engagement, operational transformation and the strategic role of innovation in building future-ready financial institutions.

Sponsors & Strategic Partners

The 29th Connected Banking Summit – Ethiopia 2026 was supported by organisations representing key areas of the financial technology and digital transformation ecosystem.

Gold Sponsors

• THUNES
• ManageEngine
• MBCOM Technologies

Supporting Partners

• Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX)
• Faydaverse

Banking Innovators

• YAYA Wallet
• CHAPA
• KACHA
• ARIFPAY

The collective participation of these organisations reflected the breadth of Ethiopia’s evolving financial ecosystem, spanning connected payments, enterprise technology, cybersecurity, capital markets, digital wallets, payment infrastructure and emerging financial services.

Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 – Award Winners

The evening concluded with the prestigious Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026, recognising outstanding institutions and leaders for achievements across digital banking, cybersecurity, financial inclusion, transformation, payments and financial-services excellence.

Institutional Award Winners

• Excellence in Digital Banking – Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
• Excellence in Cyber Security – Hibret Bank
• Excellence in Cashless Initiatives – Dashen Bank
• Excellence in Financial Inclusion – Hijra Bank
• Excellence in Digital Transformation – Nib International Bank
• Excellence in SME Banking – Cooperative Bank of Oromia
• Excellence in Wealth Management – Zemen Bank
• Excellence in Trade Finance – Bank of Abyssinia
• Excellence in Retail Banking – Awash Bank

Individual Leadership Award Winners

• CISO of the Year – Seyoum Damtew, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
• CEO of the Year – Banking – Abie Sano, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
• CIO of the Year – Amare Herpie, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
• Women in Finance Leadership Award – Brutawit Dawit Abdi, Wegagen Capital Investment Bank
• Digital Banking Personality of the Year – Hussen Amde, Wegagen Bank
• Banking Leader of the Year – Deribie Asfaw, Cooperative Bank of Oromia

The awards continue to reflect ICSA’s commitment to recognising the institutions and individuals driving innovation, resilience, inclusion and excellence across Africa’s financial ecosystem.

A Connected Future for Ethiopian Banking

The 29th Connected Banking Summit & Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 reinforced the importance of collaboration between financial institutions, regulators, technology leaders and innovators in accelerating Ethiopia’s digital financial transformation.

The summit provided a platform for senior stakeholders to exchange insights, recognise excellence and explore the partnerships and technologies that will shape the future of banking and financial services in Ethiopia.

As Ethiopia continues to advance its digital financial ecosystem, the conversations and connections established at the summit represent an important contribution to building a more secure, inclusive, innovative and digitally enabled future for banking and financial services.