By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Ethiopia has established the
Financial Sector Cybersecurity Forum to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience
across the country’s financial sector, with the initiative announced at the
Ethiopian Finance Forum 2026 in Addis Ababa.
The Forum is aimed at
fostering a secure, resilient and trusted digital financial ecosystem through
information sharing, coordinated responses to cyber threats, efforts to address
cybersecurity gaps, and support for the implementation of national and sector-specific
cybersecurity policies and laws.
Speaking at the
establishment ceremony on September 29, 2026, INSA Director General H.E. Tigist
Hamid highlighted the Forum’s role in enabling financial institutions to share
timely threat information, coordinate responses to cyber incidents, address implementation
challenges, and promote research, good practices, and international best
practices in financial-sector cybersecurity.
National Bank of Ethiopia
Governor H.E. Dr. Eyob Tekalign emphasized that cybersecurity is a key priority
for the sustainable growth of Ethiopia’s financial sector, particularly in
securing the country’s rapidly evolving digital financial ecosystem.
He also underscored the
importance of institutional cybersecurity capacity in building customer trust,
advancing financial inclusion and strengthening global competitiveness.
The Forum will be jointly
chaired by INSA and the National Bank of Ethiopia, with relevant institutions
participating as members to advance collective action and strengthen
cybersecurity across the financial sector.
The establishment of the
Forum comes as Ethiopia’s financial sector continues to expand its use of
digital technologies, increasing the need for coordinated measures to protect
financial institutions and digital services from cyber threats.
