Connected Banking Summit 2025- Advancing Innovation and Financial Inclusion Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The 23rd Edition Connected Banking Summit – Innovation & Excellence Awards 2025 was a defining moment in Ethiopia’s journey toward financial inclusion and digital transformation. The summit united policymakers, banking leaders, fintech innovators and technology providers to shape the future of Ethiopia’s financial ecosystem.

Key Highlights & Takeaways

Visionary Keynotes & Leadership Insights
From Dr. Yeshurun Alemayehu Adde’s opening keynote on balancing regtech and compliance to Brutawit Dawit Abdi’s address on sector liberalization, leaders shared transformative perspectives on building a smarter and more secure financial sector.

Innovation in Digital Finance
Game-changing discussions explored Hussen Amde explained about Mobile Banking for Financial Inclusion and Muluken Demessie showcased how The Future of Customer-Centric Banking in Ethiopia works.

The AI & Cybersecurity Frontier
AI-driven fraud detection, cyber resilience, and machine learning defenses were at the heart of the conversation, with Kaspersky’s Moses Munguti and Ethiopian cybersecurity leaders highlighting the urgency of staying ahead of emerging digital threats.

Fintech & Bank Collaborations
Panels featuring executives from Awash Bank, Global Bank Ethiopia, and Backbase unpacked how partnerships between banks and fintech’s are reshaping market dynamics, regulatory compliance, and inclusion strategies in Ethiopia.

Insurance & Digital Integration
Sessions by Shiferaw Lencho (Ethiopian Insurance Corporation) and Fikru Tsegaye Wordofa (Society of Insurance Professionals) highlighted how bancassurance and digital insurance integration are expanding protection and accelerating financial resilience.

Celebrating Excellence: Connected Banking Awards 2025
Prestigious awards honoured Ethiopia’s leading banks and executives across categories such as Bank of the Year (Commercial Bank of Ethiopia), Excellence in Retail Banking (Awash Bank), Excellence in Digital Banking (Dashen Bank) and CEO of the Year (Abie Sano) among others. Each recognition celebrated innovation, customer excellence and leadership driving Ethiopia’s digital finance revolution.

Shaping the Future of Ethiopian Banking
The 23rd Edition cemented its role as the premier platform for Ethiopia’s financial sector, where visionaries, disruptors and policymakers came together to champion inclusion, innovation and resilience.