Addis Ababa: Ethiopia is declaring itself “more open for business than ever” as it hosted the Invest in Ethiopia 2025 High-Level Business Forum on May 12-13, 2025 in Addis Ababa. The flagship annual event, co-hosted by the Ministry of Finance, the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), and the Development Partners Group, gathered high-level government officials, global investors, development partners, and private sector leaders to position Ethiopia as a premier investment destination and unlock its vast untapped potential.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, President of Ethiopia, Taye Atske-Silassie officially opened the forum, describing it as charting a bold and practical path built on partnership, innovation, and shared prosperity. The President highlighted the forum’s role as a national endeavor to build a tradition of continuous deliberation to ensure policies evolve with investors’ needs and critical inputs.
He noted the transformative economic reforms undertaken over the past six years aimed at sustaining growth, attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), and driving structural transformation. These reforms are ensuring macro-financial stability, addressing regulatory barriers, and opening key economic sectors, including finance, banking, and telecom, to foreign investment, fundamentally reimagining Ethiopia’s economic future.
The President underscored Ethiopia’s strategic advantages, citing its position as Africa’s second most populous nation with a dynamic market of 130 million people. He described Ethiopia as a growth engine surpassing the continental average and aspiring to be an entry point to global markets, aiming to become one of the top African economies by 2030. He highlighted leveraging regional and continental strategies like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), seeing it as an opportunity for the free movement of goods and communities across borders, enabling investors to benefit from this free trade area.
Finance Minister Ahmed Shide reaffirmed Ethiopia’s dedication to private sector development by offering attractive incentives and streamlining investment processes through digital platforms. He presented over 10 billion USD in investment opportunities across various sectors and affirmed the government’s resolve to address security concerns and other challenges. Concluding, he urged global investors to capitalize on Ethiopia’s improved business environment, stating that the country is now more open for business than ever.
The Foreign Minister, Gedion Timothewoes highlighted Ethiopia’s strategic advantages, including its prime location in the Horn of Africa, providing access to markets across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the continent.