Addis Ababa Ranks Top in Municipal Finance Management Among African Cities

Addis Ababa, January 22, 2026 (ENA)—Addis Ababa has emerged as a leading performer in municipal finance management among major African cities, according to a recent evaluation conducted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

The assessment, which focused on resource mobilization and project implementation, was presented today during the Regional Peer Learning Action Plan progress review conference held in Addis Ababa.

 The city outperformed other participating African capitals, including Nairobi, Lusaka, Dar es Salaam, Kigali, and Yaoundé, under a project aimed at strengthening municipal financial systems.

Addressing the conference, Addis Ababa Mayor Adanech Abiebie said the strategic reforms undertaken by the city have significantly improved its global competitiveness and positioned Addis Ababa as a model of urban transformation for other African cities.

 She noted that the city has demonstrated strong performance in revenue mobilization and financial resource management, attributing Addis Ababa’s rapid growth to consistent leadership commitment and institutional reforms.

 Mayor Adanech highlighted that the digitization of business licensing and revenue collection systems has greatly enhanced transparency and efficiency.

 These digital reforms, she said, have enabled the city to finance large-scale development projects using its own internal resources.

 She further stressed that the future sustainability of African cities depends on the financial systems being built today, particularly those anchored in knowledge and digital technology.

 The mayor also expressed her appreciation to the Economic Commission for Africa for its continued support in advancing urban reforms and strengthening financial capacity.

 The conference brought together mayors and other officials from six African countries.

 Participants said the forum provided a valuable opportunity to learn from Addis Ababa’s experience, particularly its policy of allocating 70 percent of total municipal revenue to development projects—a strategy credited with transforming the city’s infrastructure and service delivery.