NBE Special Forex Auction Undersubscribed by About 45 Million USD

Addis Ababa, February 21, 2026 (ENA) –The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has conducted a special foreign exchange auction which resulted in a rare surplus of hard currency today.

Although the central bank made a massive 500 million USD available to the market, the bidder banks only absorbed 455.29 million USD, leaving approximately 9 percent of the total unclaimed, it was learned.

​Today’s auction sent a strong signal to the financial sector that the era of chronic, systemic “forex thirst” is transitioning into a more managed and liquid market environment.

The undersubscription also indicated that demand for foreign currency was lower than the amount supplied that signals easing pressure on the forex market.

The auction saw all the 30 participating banks were successful in securing 100 percent of the funds they requested.

This fulfillment of bids is a stark contrast to previous years, where banks often received only a fraction of their requirements.

The next foreign exchange auction will be held in line with the announced schedule.