ECA hosts five-day workshop to strengthen Ethiopia’s capital markets

Addis Ababa, 20 April 2026 (ECA) - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has convened a five-day Capacity-Building and Technical Workshop aimed at advancing Ethiopia's capital markets.

The workshop is jointly organized with the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA), the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), FSD Ethiopia, and the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE). It brings together regulators, market institutions, financial-sector actors, institutional investors, issuers, and development partners to support Ethiopia's transition toward a capital market capable of mobilizing long-term domestic finance for inclusive and sustainable development.

Opening the workshop, Ms. Sonia Essobmadje, Chief of the Finance and Domestic Resource Mobilization Section at ECA, emphasized the importance of moving from policy ambition to practical implementation.

"Capital markets are a key pillar for mobilizing long-term finance. This workshop reflects ECA's commitment to practical, evidence-based support that helps countries move from framework-building to delivery," she said.

Speaking on behalf of FSD Ethiopia, Mrs. Hikmet Abdella, Chief Executive Officer, highlighted the importance of capability and ecosystem readiness.

"Market development is not only about institutions and regulations. It is about inclusion, capacity, and intentional design," she noted.

Representing the regulator, Ms. Rahel Kassa, Deputy Director General of ECMA, underlined the importance of setting high standards in Ethiopia's young capital market, particularly for thematic bonds.
"Early issuances, including the first gender bond, must set a strong benchmark for quality, transparency, and impact to build investor confidence," she said.

The workshop covers two complementary workstreams: strengthening the ecosystem for gender-responsive thematic finance, including the development of a Gender Bond Framework, and enabling institutional and anchor investor participation, including pensions, insurers, banks, and development finance institutions.

The five-day engagement will conclude with a high-level stakeholders' roundtable to discuss priorities and coordinated follow-up actions. Outcomes are expected to inform the Gender Bond Framework, institutional-investor engagement pathways, and a practical implementation roadmap for Ethiopia's capital-market development.

Through this initiative, ECA reaffirmed its commitment to working with Ethiopia and its partners to support the development of credible, inclusive, and resilient capital markets that can mobilize long-term finance for national development.