Assessment flags payment costs and fraud-protection gaps in Ethiopia’s financial inclusion drive
An assessment reported on October 3, 2026, identifies costly digital payments and incomplete fraud safeguards as barriers to wider financial access in Ethiopia.
In short
- An assessment reported on October 3, 2026, identifies costly digital payments and incomplete fraud safeguards as barriers to wider financial access in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia’s expansion of digital finance is being held back by transaction costs and gaps in consumer protection, according to an assessment of the second National Financial Inclusion Strategy reported by The Reporter on October 3, 2026.
The newspaper said the evaluation was presented at the Ethiopia Finance Forum alongside the next strategy, covering 2026–2030. The organiser’s programme places the forum in Addis Ababa from September 29 to October 1, 2026, with a financial-inclusion session scheduled for September 29.
According to The Reporter’s account, adult account ownership reached 66 percent in 2025, below the strategy’s 70 percent target. The assessment also identified incomplete fraud safeguards and charges that can discourage small transactions.
Account numbers alone do not show how widely services are used. The newspaper reported that 29.56 percent of mobile money accounts were classified as active by June 2026.
The next strategy’s emphasis is on access, regular use and financial health, particularly among underserved groups. The forum programme independently identifies women, young people, rural communities and small businesses as priorities.
