By Samuel Abate

Addis Ababa will host the fourth Africa Private Sector Forum on Displacement from November 16 to 18, bringing together business leaders, government officials, investors and representatives of displaced communities to explore ways to expand economic opportunities for refugees and host communities across the continent.

Ethiopia, which hosts more than 1.2 million refugees, has taken legal steps to support refugee integration and access to employment and business opportunities.

Across Africa, an estimated 45 million people are affected by displacement, highlighting the need for sustainable economic inclusion.

In 2019, Ethiopia adopted Refugees Proclamation No. 1110/2019, which granted recognized refugees and asylum seekers the legal right to engage in wage-earning employment and self-employment. The proclamation also provides a framework for refugee integration and access to basic services, although certain jobs remain restricted to Ethiopian citizens, including positions in the civil service, armed forces and police, as well as other sectors reserved exclusively for nationals.

The forum, held under the theme “The Next Act: Creating a More Inclusive Economic Ecosystem,” will focus on expanding employment, investment, enterprise development and policies that enable displaced people and host communities to participate more fully in African economies.

The event is convened by Amahoro Coalition, Inkomoko and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

According to the organizers, the three-day gathering will bring together people with lived experience of displacement, including entrepreneurs, workers and community leaders, alongside employers, investors and policymakers to examine practical approaches to economic inclusion.

Discussions will draw on research and existing initiatives to identify ways to expand successful models and strengthen partnerships between businesses, investors and governments.

The programme will take place at two venues in the Ethiopian capital. Africa Hall at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa will host activities reflecting on Africa’s history and its response to displacement, while the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum will host plenary sessions and other activities.

The museum will also feature a marketplace where businesses led by displaced people and members of host communities can showcase and sell their products.

Ethiopia-based refugee-led organization “Tomorrow is Better” is partnering with the organizers on the forum and marketplace.

Ethiopian organizations and entrepreneurs are expected to contribute local perspectives and showcase their businesses alongside participants from across Africa.

The fourth edition builds on previous forums held in Kigali in 2021, Accra in 2023 and Nairobi in 2025. This year’s gathering will place greater emphasis on expanding employment pathways, developing investment models, strengthening enterprise partnerships and promoting policy reforms that support economic participation.

​ Hibret Insurance Company S.C. has announced a 14.5 percent increase in net profit after tax to 965.32 million birr for the 2025/26 fiscal year, despite facing a sharp tax increase that weighed on overall earnings and diluted earnings per share.

​Addressing shareholders at the company’s 32nd Ordinary General Assembly at the Addis Ababa Skylight Hotel, Board Chairman Wondwossen Teshome described the financial results as a testament to operational agility.

​”This performance represents a resilient achievement achieved amid broader macroeconomic headwinds, persistent inflationary pressures, and dynamic regulatory shifts in the financial sector,” Wondwossen stated.

​According to the insurer’s annual report, profit before tax climbed to nearly  1.38 billion birr, up from  1.01 billion birr in the previous fiscal year, supported by robust expansion across core insurance underwriting and investment activities. Net profit after tax expanded from 843.15 million birr recorded in 2024/25.

​However, board members noted in the annual report that profit expansion was heavily moderated by corporate tax obligations. Hibret’s tax expenses surged 151.63 percent to 415.11 million from 164.90 million birr in the preceding year—a spike primarily driven by recent legislative amendments targeting investment income.

​Despite the fiscal squeeze, the board proposed distributing  868.79 million birr in dividends to shareholders, following a mandatory 96.53 million birr transfer to legal reserves.

​According to audited financial statements presented to shareholders, total gross written premiums across Hibret’s life, non-life, and general Takaful lines rose 24.18 percent to 3.42 billion birr, up from 2.75 billion birr in 2024/25.

​Non-life insurance remained the anchor of the firm’s underwriting portfolio, generating 3.17 billion birr in premiums. Life insurance operations contributed 196.80 million birr, while general Takaful operations generated  54.34 million birr.

​Overall insurance revenue expanded 34.23 percent to 3.14 billion birr. While insurance service expenses climbed 41.84 percent to 1.74 billion birr —reflecting broader inflationary pressures and rising claim costs—the company’s underwriting efficiency produced a 43.39 percent jump in its net insurance service result, reaching 1.10 billion birr.

​Motor insurance continued to dominate the non-life portfolio, accounting for 63.49 percent of total non-life premiums, up from 58.88 percent in the previous year. Miscellaneous insurance followed at 8.17 percent, while fire and general accident insurance made up 6.31 percent. Marine, liability, engineering, pecuniary, and aviation coverage comprised the remainder.

​Notably, engineering insurance registered a sharp 60 percent decline, which the report attributed directly to “a broader slowdown across the domestic construction sector,” even as all other non-life classes posted positive growth.

​Complementing its core underwriting performance, Hibret’s net investment income grew 32.64 percent to 722.12 million birr, providing substantial balance-sheet support.

​During the reporting period, the insurer continued to fortify its capital position. Paid-up capital expanded to 1.88 billion birr by June 2026 and subsequently rose to 1.95 billion birr, keeping the firm on track to meet its shareholder-approved 2 billion birr target.

​The company also expanded its physical footprint through key real estate acquisitions, including a seven-storey commercial building in Bole Bulbula and dedicated operational space in Kazanchis.

Ethiopia is the only African candidate seeking membership in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Council, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry said the bid reflects Ethiopia’s longstanding contribution to civil aviation and its commitment to advancing African interests in international aviation policy.

ICAO, a United Nations agency with 193 member states, sets global standards for safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable international air transport.

A founding member of the African Civil Aviation Commission, Ethiopia is drawing on decades of institutional experience in aviation safety, security and capacity building to support its candidacy.

The ministry highlighted the country’s strategic location connecting Africa with Europe, the Middle East and Asia, alongside its expanding aviation training, aircraft maintenance and cargo capabilities.

If elected, Ethiopia has pledged to promote aviation safety and security, strengthen international cooperation and support sustainable growth across the sector.

Ethiopian Airlines and other national institutions train pilots, aircraft technicians, air traffic controllers and aviation specialists from across Africa.

The airline serves more than 55 African destinations, reinforcing Ethiopia’s position as a continental aviation hub. The candidacy forms part of Ethiopia’s broader effort to strengthen its influence over global aviation policy while promoting African priorities within the international system.