EBR_News Apr 17, 2026

Chinese company Aladdin Holdings Group has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with the Ethiopian embassy in Beijing to establish a China-East Africa Modern Agriculture and Cultural Tourism Industry Innovation Center, marking a new phase in bilateral economic cooperation, according to a report by China Daily.

The proposed project aims to combine renewable energy, modern farming, equipment manufacturing, and cultural tourism into an integrated industrial-agricultural cluster. Under the MoU, the two sides will focus on developing solar power, industrial energy storage, cold-chain logistics, and agricultural robotics, with the goal of creating a scalable model for replication across Ethiopia, East Africa, and the wider continent.

EBR_News Apr 17, 2026

Betegbar Yaregal

Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria are set to lose between $240 million and $780 million each in official development assistance after African bilateral aid budgets contracted by 16 to 28 percent in 2025, a reduction of $4 to $7 billion, according to the International Monetary Fund’s April 2026 Regional Economic Outlook.

The report, released during the IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, reveals that the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), substantial cuts to US development budgets announced in January 2025, and funding reductions from other major donors including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have triggered an aid shock unlike any seen before.

Unlike past episodes where aid declines were often country-specific or cyclical, this contraction is “donor-driven, simultaneous across countries, and unfolding with minimal warning,” the IMF states.

Initial estimates indicate that humanitarian aid flows to sub-Saharan Africa dropped by 42 percent in 2025 compared to 2024 levels, according to UNOCHA data cited in the report. Chad, Africa’s largest host country for refugees per capita, could see its aid receipts halved in the coming year, severely crippling life-saving assistance for both refugee camps and its own population.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that less than half of the people in need of humanitarian assistance can be reached with available resources in 2026. An estimated three million children in sub-Saharan Africa may be pushed out of school, and 75 million children globally may miss routine vaccinations over the next five years, the report warns.

The 2025 bilateral cuts are likely only the first wave, the IMF cautions. Most bilateral donors plan aid on multiyear cycles, meaning further reductions will occur when new programming periods begin. Multilateral agencies, traditionally shock absorbers for the region, face their own steep budget cuts following decreased contributions from bilateral donors. The World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization project 34 percent, 27 percent, and 39 percent less funding in the coming years than in 2023-24, respectively.

Aid cuts reinforce the criticality of domestic revenue mobilization in sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest tax-to-GDP ratio in the world, with the median country collecting 13.8 percent of GDP. Improved tax administration and policy reforms can raise this figure, but doing so requires strengthening technical capacity and building public support and trust.

The countries most affected by the cuts tend to be those already facing multiple sources of vulnerability, including conflict, insurgency, high poverty rates, and political instability.

The report notes that low-income countries and fragile states, where aid previously financed health, education, and humanitarian programs, will bear the heaviest burden.

EBR_News Apr 17, 2026

By Betegbar Yaregal

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has unveiled plans to sell approximately 10 percent of his $20 billion oil refinery through a landmark pan-African initial public offering (IPO) in 2026, a move that could transform continental capital markets while raising billions to fund a $40 billion expansion drive across refining, fertiliser, and mining.

The announcement was made during an event hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, with Dangote confirming that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE will pay dividends to shareholders in US dollars after listing.

While specific financial details remain undisclosed, analysts estimate the offering could value the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility at between $40 billion and $50 billion, potentially making it Africa’s most valuable listed company.

EBR_News Apr 16, 2026
By Betegbar Yaregal

Sub-Saharan Africa entered 2026 with its strongest economic momentum in over a decade, achieving 4.5 percent growth in 2025, but the escalating conflict in the Middle East has clouded the outlook, forcing the International Monetary Fund to downgrade regional growth projections to 4.3 percent for 2026, 0.3 percentage points below pre-war forecasts, according to the IMF’s April 2026 Regional Economic Outlook released during the Spring Meetings in Washington.

Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director of the IMF’s African Department, highlighted that countries such as Ethiopia and Nigeria benefited from macroeconomic adjustments, including exchange rate realignments, fuel subsidy reductions, and strengthened monetary policy frameworks. These efforts contributed to improved fiscal positions, declining inflation, and stronger external balances across the region.

The Middle East war has triggered a major external shock, with oil, gas, and fertilizer prices surging alongside shipping costs. Trade with Gulf partners has been disrupted, while tourism and remittances are being squeezed. Financial conditions have tightened, particularly for fuel-importing countries. Median inflation is expected to rise to around 5 percent by the end of 2026.

EBR_News Apr 15, 2026

By Betegbar Yaregal

The National Startup Steering Committee has held its second round of consultations to review implementation of Ethiopia’s Startup Proclamation, with discussions focused on establishing a Fund of Funds, grants, and loan guarantee programs to address startup financing gaps.

State Minister of Innovation and Technology and Committee Chairperson Bayisa Bedada (PhD) noted that the proclamation will lay a crucial foundation for national economic growth by creating a conducive environment for startups and positioning Ethiopia as a competitor in global technological development. The implementation of twenty-four activities identified in the national implementation plan was presented at the consultation.