Ethiopia reviews two applications for wholly foreign-owned bank subsidiaries
Two foreign banks have applied to establish wholly owned Ethiopian subsidiaries, an NBE official said at the finance forum. The applicants have not been named and no licensing decisions were announced.
In short
- Two foreign banks have applied to establish wholly owned Ethiopian subsidiaries, an NBE official said at the finance forum.
- The applicants have not been named and no licensing decisions were announced.
Ethiopia’s central bank is reviewing applications from two foreign banks seeking to establish wholly owned local subsidiaries, banking supervision director Frezer Ayalew said at the Ethiopia Finance Forum, according to reports by The Reporter and Kana TV.
Kana dated the remarks to 1 October 2026, the final day of the forum in Addis Ababa. The Reporter’s account, published on 3 October 2026, said Frezer did not identify the applicants.
The proposed investments would create new banking subsidiaries in Ethiopia. The reports describe applications under review; they do not announce operating licences, opening dates or completed investments.
Frezer also said other foreign institutions were examining potential equity investments and strategic partnerships with existing Ethiopian banks, according to The Reporter. Those discussions represent a separate route into the market from establishing a new subsidiary.
The disclosure gives a more concrete picture of foreign-bank interest following the forum’s broader discussions on financial-sector reform. The next substantive step for the two applicants would be a licensing decision; neither report provides a timetable.
