The Ministry of Finance and Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATIDI), a leading pan-African multilateral trade and investment insurer. This milestone agreement is designed to accelerate Ethiopia’s transition to clean energy by attracting foreign investment into renewable energy projects through ATIDI’s Regional Liquidity Support Facility (RLSF).

The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration between Ethiopia and ATIDI, ensuring that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) or Public Private Partnerships can leverage RLSF, a liquidity support mechanism developed by ATIDI in partnership with KfW Development Bank and Norad. RLSF provides financial protection to IPPs/PPPs by availing and accelerating payments owed by state-owned utilities, addressing a key challenge in the energy sector by enhancing payment security and financial stability.

“We are honored to partner with the Government of Ethiopia and Ethiopian Electric Power to support the development of the country’s renewable energy sector. Through our liquidity support, this collaboration will not only reduce financial risks but also attract more investment into Ethiopia’s energy infrastructure. We believe that this partnership will help accelerate the growth of Ethiopia’s renewable energy capacity and contribute to the broader goal of sustainable development across the African continent,” said CEO, ATIDI Manuel Moses,

Twelve grants are available for up to £10,000 each (local currency equivalent) – 6 in Uganda, 3 in Kenya and 3 in Ethiopia to implement clean energy projects in displacement settings.

The grants will be administered by Ashden – a climate solutions charity which supports community-led renewable energy solutions in the Global South and the UK.

Ashden’s new ‘Inclusive Investment Pilots’ will support clean energy projects, such as solar power, clean cooking technology, and productive use renewable energy solutions which are delivered by, and serve, refugees and displaced people. The work builds on Ashden’s Powering Refugees and Displaced People Award which was launched in 2020.

Successful applicants will also receive technical assistance and communications support to build their projects into revenue generating energy delivery models. Isona Shibata, Head of International Programmes at Ashden and author of a report on Refugee-led Energy Access, says: “Ashden are pleased to expand our work on humanitarian energy access with grants to earlier stage renewable energy and clean cooking projects led by and for refugees and displaced people.

Hilton announced the signing of an agreement with Brighton Hotels and Business Plc. to open two properties in Ethiopia – DoubleTree by Hilton Adama and DoubleTree by Hilton Dire Dawa. The agreement marks the first internationally branded hotels in the two cities, reaffirming Hilton’s commitment to expanding its presence in Ethiopia with plans to reach eight trading properties across the country in the coming years.  Carlos Khneisser, vice president, Development, Middle East & Africa, Hilton said, “We are thrilled to partner with Brighton Hotels and Business Plc. to open two hotels in Ethiopia. These new additions in Adama and Dire Dawa will further strengthen our footprint across the country, perfectly complementing the soon-to-open DoubleTree by Hilton Addis Ababa Airport and currently trading Hilton Addis Ababa. We look forward to continuing our growth across Ethiopia and delivering reliable and friendly stays to business and leisure guests.”

TDB Group and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) announced the extension of BADEA’s investment commitment in TDB’s African trade fund ESATF.

With an initial investment of USD 50 million in TDB’s African trade fund ESATF which has since then grown to USD 63 million, BADEA is extending its investment commitment in the fund for an additional period of 3 years.

To commemorate this occasion, a signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the African Union’s 38^th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit on the 14^th of February 2025 in Addis Ababa. Managed by TDB’s asset management company ESATAL, a TDB Group subsidiary, ESATF is an open-ended investment fund which was set-up in 2019 to finance short- to medium-term trade transactions, particularly those involving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Africa.