Ethiopia’s planned youth investment bank works toward licensing

Ethiopia’s planned Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank is working to meet licensing requirements before it can begin financing young entrepreneurs, according to Ministry of Labour and Skills officials cited by The Reporter on September 26, 2026.

Zerihun Alemayehu, the ministry’s job-creation expansion lead executive officer, told the newspaper that preparations to satisfy National Bank of Ethiopia requirements were underway. The proposed institution aims to support more than 100 innovative startups and micro, small and medium enterprises.

Ashik Bediru, project manager for the Agri-MSMEs Development for Jobs programme, said African Development Bank funding would become available once licensing and certification were completed, the newspaper reported. The update gives no firm opening date.

The bank is intended to combine financing with preparation for investment. The Reporter says prospective beneficiaries would receive training, technical support and assessments of their readiness before obtaining capital. Its initial base would be Addis Ababa, with regional expansion tied to investment opportunities.

The wider AfDB-supported programme seeks to improve finance and business-development support for enterprises led by young people and women. The licensing update concerns an institution still being established; it does not announce an open application round or confirm that loans are available.