Ethiopia’s Central Bank Governor Calls for African Regional Financing Mechanisms

Addis Ababa, February 7, 2026 (ENA) - Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), Eyob Tekalign, has called for the urgent establishment of institutionalized regional financing mechanisms among African countries to strengthen economic resilience and address growing liquidity challenges.

speaking at the Alula Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Eyob addressed a high-level roundtable focused on strengthening the Global Financial Safety Net.

He noted that African nations face severe constraints in accessing global liquidity.

Currently, many countries must rely solely on their own international reserves or support from the International Monetary Fund, he said.

Eyob emphasized that new regional arrangements must be tailored to the specific vulnerabilities of the continent.

These mechanisms should integrate seamlessly with existing global financial structures.

He noted that such action is vital as external financing continues to decline.

Furthermore, Eyob advocated for a realigned IMF quota system.

The governor argued that current shares do not reflect the true economic fundamentals of countries like Ethiopia.

He also highlighted the ambitious scale of Ethiopia's ongoing structural reforms.

The discussion included Kristalina Georgieva of the IMF and Anna Bjerde of the World Bank.

Central bank governors from Egypt, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Armenia also participated in the deliberations.