Addis Ababa, 27 November 2025 (ECA) – The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its Finance and Domestic Resource Mobilization Section (FDRMS), in collaboration with i-Capital Africa, convened a full-day training workshop on Market Access, Private Sector Financing, Investment and Partnerships at the UN Conference Centre in Addis Ababa.
Bringing together regulators, financial institutions, private-sector leaders, development partners and capital-market actors, the workshop served as an important moment for dialogue on how Ethiopia can accelerate the development of its emerging capital-market ecosystem. The gathering comes at a decisive time, as both the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA) and the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX) continue to advance, opening new pathways for investment, private-sector expansion and economic transformation.
Opening the session, Hopestone Kayiska Chavula of UNECA’s Macroeconomics and Governance Division emphasized the value of collective learning and coordinated action. He described the workshop as a space for regulators, private-sector leaders and development partners “to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions and shape practical solutions,” while urging participants to engage openly and explore new avenues for collaboration. He reaffirmed ECA’s commitment to supporting its member States, Ethiopia included, in strengthening capital-market development, improving financing frameworks and building resilient investment ecosystems through evidence-based policy advice, capacity development and strategic partnerships.
Dr. Gemechu Waktola, Group CEO of the i-Capital Africa Institute, followed by underscoring how far Ethiopia has come in a short time. He reflected on the rapid evolution of the country’s capital-market landscape and noted that this collaboration with UNECA comes at a pivotal moment. Strong dialogue between public institutions, private-sector actors and regulators, he stressed, is essential to building a thriving and credible market ecosystem.
Throughout the day, experts from ECA and i-Capital guided participants through a series of interconnected themes central to Ethiopia’s financial transformation. Discussions explored the country’s financial and capital-market architecture, the nature of marketable financial assets and investment flows, and the opportunities presented by blended finance and other innovative financing instruments. Participants also examined risk-sharing tools, guarantees and deal-structuring approaches, alongside practical frameworks for public–private partnerships, pipeline development and investor matchmaking. Case studies, group work and simulations enabled attendees to translate these concepts directly into Ethiopia’s evolving operational context.
The training was jointly delivered by experts from UNECA, i-Capital Africa, the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA), as well as key market-development partners TCX and Frontclear. Their contributions enriched the discussions with practical perspectives on de-risking instruments, FX-hedging solutions, guarantees and the broader mechanics of private-sector financing. This collaboration reflects UNECA’s ongoing support to ECMA in mobilizing anchor and institutional investors for thematic bond issuances, including the forthcoming maiden Gender Bond, while also strengthening national capacity for capital-market development.
The workshop closed with a shared recognition of both the progress made and the work ahead. Participants underscored the importance of strengthening institutional capacity to support Ethiopia’s capital-market development and highlighted the need for deeper collaboration between regulators, development finance institutions and the private sector. ECA reaffirmed its continued commitment to supporting Ethiopia in building strong financial markets, fostering an enabling environment for investment and advancing structural transformation through evidence-based policy support.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org