Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education (MoE) has signaled a possible transition period for new regulations affecting international schools, in what appears to be a move to ease growing tensions with the diplomatic and expatriate communities.

While the government maintains that integrating elements of the national curriculum into international schools is “non-negotiable,” officials indicated they may allow a gradual implementation period to reduce disruption for students, parents, and school operators.

The development follows a meeting held on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, between Education Minister Berhanu Nega, parents, and other stakeholders. The meeting was called after more than 20 international schools jointly raised concerns over the Ministry’s proposed reforms, including the “Curriculum Plus” roadmap and a requirement that at least 30% of students in international schools be foreign nationals.

According to participants, the Ministry is considering a transition period of two to three years, acknowledging the logistical and academic challenges of implementing the reforms within a single academic cycle.

As previously reported by Capital, the Ministry had initially planned to enforce the new rules beginning in September 2026. The directive also stated that schools must meet the 30% foreign student quota to retain their international status.

However, more than a dozen prominent institutions—including One Planet International School, British International School Addis Ababa, Canadian International School Addis Ababa, and Flipper International School—have rejected the proposal. School administrators described the quota as “unreasonable, unstudied, and lacking legal basis.”

Sources familiar with the March 4 discussions said Ministry officials acknowledged the operational and educational difficulties of an immediate curriculum overhaul. The proposed transition period is intended to prevent disruption for students already enrolled in international programs, particularly those approaching national or international examinations.

Prior to the meeting, a coalition of international schools submitted a five-page position paper outlining their objections. The document argued that the directive departs from international education standards and could undermine the legal framework under which the institutions were originally licensed.

The Ministry, however, insists reforms are necessary. According to its data, Ethiopian nationals account for between 90% and 99% of students enrolled in international schools across the country. Of the more than 21,000 students currently attending such institutions, only 16.7% are foreign nationals. The Ministry also notes that 95% of teachers and 97% of administrative staff are Ethiopian.

Officials argue that this demographic reality makes it essential for Ethiopian students to learn their country’s history, language, and civic values.

Under the “Curriculum Plus” framework, international schools would be required to primarily follow the Ethiopian national curriculum while supplementing it with international content where gaps exist.

“This will enable Ethiopian citizens to know their language, culture, and identity,” the Ministry said in a statement, adding that the reform aims to produce “ethical citizens who love their country and are internationally competitive.”

International schools strongly dispute the Ministry’s position. School administrators argue that the plan contradicts the legal definition of international schools under Ethiopia’s Education Proclamation. They say their licenses were granted specifically to deliver foreign curricula, and forcing them to adopt the national curriculum would fundamentally alter their mandate.

School representatives also claim the directive could infringe on parents’ rights to choose the type of education their children receive. They note that most international schools already teach Ethiopian history, language, and culture under earlier regulations, including Directive No. 992/2016.

Some institutions warn the reforms could trigger broader economic and social consequences. Administrators argue that abrupt changes may affect investors, disrupt students’ academic pathways, and weaken Addis Ababa’s attractiveness as a hub for diplomatic and international organizations.

As host city to major continental institutions including the African Union, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and numerous diplomatic missions, Addis Ababa relies heavily on international education services for expatriate communities.

During the meeting, Minister Berhanu addressed concerns that schools might challenge the directive through legal or international mechanisms. Participants said he emphasized the Ethiopian government’s authority to regulate the national education system and dismissed claims that the reforms violate constitutional or international protections.

“Implementation is inevitable—the question is not whether it will happen, but how it will happen,” one participant quoted the Minister as saying.

Parents attending the meeting said the proposed transition period would give schools time to adjust teaching materials, train teachers, and align their internal assessments with the Ministry’s requirements. It would also allow students currently in the system to complete their studies under existing curricula before the reforms fully take effect.

Concerns were also raised about language of instruction. Many international schools operate entirely in English, and stakeholders worried that shifting to instruction in Ethiopian languages could affect academic performance and international recognition of qualifications.

The Ministry clarified that while schools must align their content with the national curriculum, they will not be required to abandon English as a medium of instruction.

“Learning in a mother tongue is a right, not a mandatory obligation for these specifically identified institutions,” the Minister reportedly said, indicating that English instruction can continue provided subjects such as social studies, history, and geography reflect the Ethiopian curriculum.

Despite signs of flexibility on implementation timelines, uncertainty remains around the proposed 30% foreign student quota. Ministry officials hinted that enforcement of the requirement may be delayed, though no formal decision has yet been announced.

Attempts by Capital to obtain further clarification from the Ministry on the quota were unsuccessful.

A new private medical facility,Bethesda American Medical Plaza , has announced it entering Ethiopia’s healthcare market with a large-scale investment aimed at expanding access to advanced diagnostic and treatment services within the country.

The medical plaza, designed as a multi-level medical complex, consists of seven floors above ground and a basement housing core technical infrastructure described by the management as the building’s “digital heart.” The facility follows what developers describe as a “vertical medical city”model, concentrating a range of specialized services within a single structure.

Five of the upper floors are allocated for inpatient wards, while the ground floor functions as a central service hub that integrates patient registration, diagnostic units, and emergency services. The layout is intended to streamline patient flow and reduce response times for urgent care.

The project reflects the growing role of private investment in Ethiopia’s healthcare sector, particularly in advanced diagnostic and specialized treatment services that have historically driven patients to seek care abroad.

Hospital administrators say the building’s design places a strong emphasis on infection control, an area that has gained greater attention in modern hospital construction. Patient rooms are equipped with negative-pressure ventilation systems, which help prevent airborne pathogens from spreading into hallways and other hospital areas.

Operating theaters, meanwhile, are equipped with positive-pressure ventilation systems, designed to maintain sterile conditions by preventing outside air from entering surgical spaces. Additional infection-prevention measures include antibacterial flooring materials and routine antimicrobial cleaning procedures.

Patient rooms are equipped with centralized oxygen supply systems, air conditioning, private sanitation facilities, and nurse-call systems intended to support monitoring and patient care.

A significant portion of the hospital’s investment has been directed toward advanced diagnostic equipment. The facility includes a robotics-assisted cardiac catheterization laboratory (Cath Lab), rare in Africa, designed to support minimally invasive procedures used in the diagnosis and treatment of heart and vascular diseases, say the administrators.

The hospital has also installed a160-slice CT scanner, which enables faster imaging and improved diagnostic accuracy while reducing radiation exposure.

In laboratory services, management says the facility’s microbiology unit will be capable of identifying specific antibiotics needed to treat resistant bacterial infections, allowing physicians to move beyond broad-spectrum treatments when patients fail to respond to standard medication.

The development comes amid rising demand for specialized healthcare services in Ethiopia and growing concerns about the high volume of patients seeking medical treatment abroad. Industry observers estimate that medical travel costs Ethiopian households and the broader economy significant amounts of foreign currency each year.

Private healthcare investors have increasingly sought to address this gap by establishing facilities equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies.

Bethesda American Medical Plazaentry into the market reflects a broader trend in Ethiopia’s healthcare sector, where private operators are expanding capacity in specialized care, diagnostics, and hospital infrastructure to meet rising urban demand.

Whether such investments can significantly reduce outbound medical travel will depend on factors including service affordability, physician availability, and the ability of private providers to maintain advanced equipment and technical expertise over the long term, according to specialists in the field.

The Addis Ababa Driver and Vehicle Licensing and Control Authority has denied claims that the city is facing a shortage of vehicle license plates, insisting that the service remains fully operational for motorists who meet the required procedures.

In a response to Capital, the Authority said there is no current deficit of license plates and that all eligible customers are being served across its branches.

The statement comes amid growing complaints from vehicle owners who say they are waiting up to a month to obtain new plates. Some customers also allege that intermediaries are demanding large unofficial payments to speed up the process.

Several motorists told Capital that delays in plate issuance have created opportunities for illegal brokers, locally referred to as “facilitators,” who offer to expedite the service for fees reaching 30,000 birr.

Under official procedures, the cost of a new license plate is around 17,000 birr, according to customers interviewed outside licensing offices.

Responding to the allegations, officials from the Authority acknowledged that a temporary shortage of Code 2 and Code 3 license plates occurred about five months ago, in early October 2025, due to printing-related issues. However, they say the disruption lasted only two days and has since been resolved.

“The rumors circulating outside originate from parties who lack accurate information. Customers should verify facts directly with the responsible institutions,” the Authority said.

Despite the assurance, motorists visiting licensing offices say the process remains slow. Some customers told Capital that obtaining new plates can take up to 30 days, which they believe has fueled the emergence of informal brokers operating around service centers.

The issuance of new license plates is part of a broader national reform led by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics aimed at replacing older vehicle plates with a new standardized system.

Transport Minister Alemu Sime previously said the program is intended to address several long-standing challenges in the country’s vehicle registration system.

One of the primary objectives is to curb illegal plate swapping, a practice in which individuals attach plates from auctioned or decommissioned vehicles to newly imported cars without customs clearance.

The reform is also intended to update national vehicle registration data. The last comprehensive vehicle registration was conducted in 2001/2002, and authorities estimate that Ethiopia currently has around 1.6 million vehicles. The project aims to close the data gap by producing nearly two million new plates.

Officials say the new system will also address security and discrimination concerns linked to the previous regional plate identifiers—such as those indicating Addis Ababa, Oromia, or Amhara—which in some cases exposed drivers to profiling or regional bias.

Under the new system, vehicles will instead carry a uniform national identifier, using the country codes “ETH” or “ኢት”, without regional labels.

The Ministry says the rollout of the new plates is continuing nationwide as part of efforts to modernize Ethiopia’s vehicle registration and transport management system.

The Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX) has launched a new digital trading platform aimed at widening public participation in the country’s emerging capital market.

The platform, called “Neway,” is the first web and mobile application designed to allow investors across Ethiopia to access and trade securities through digital channels. The initiative is expected to lower barriers to entry and improve access to investment opportunities in the country’s nascent stock market.

The platform was developed through a partnership between ESX and technology firm Infotech Private Limited. According to the exchange, the application is integrated with its broker back-office and Order Management System (OMS), enabling brokers to manage client registration, trading orders, and reporting more efficiently.

Designed for both first-time and experienced investors, the application allows users to register, open trading accounts, track market activity, and buy or sell listed securities—including equities and fixed-income instruments—through their mobile devices. Investors can also monitor and manage their portfolios in real time.

Officials say the platform could help address one of the major challenges facing Ethiopia’s capital market: limited investor participation and access to trading infrastructure.

Speaking at the launch event, ESX Chief Executive Officer Tilahun Esmael Kassahun described the platform as a key step toward building a modern and inclusive financial market.

“This marks an important milestone in our vision of establishing a world-class securities exchange in Ethiopia,” he said. “Through the ‘Neway’ app, investors can access the market anytime and from anywhere.”

Tilahun noted that the name “Neway,” which refers to wealth or assets, reflects the platform’s broader objective of making capital market participation accessible to a wider segment of the population.

“By placing the market in the hands of citizens, we are enabling more Ethiopians to participate directly in the country’s economic growth,” he added.

The platform is also expected to improve operational efficiency for brokerage firms by digitizing several functions traditionally handled through manual processes.

Market observers say digital trading platforms such as Neway will be critical for expanding the investor base and improving liquidity as Ethiopia works to develop a transparent and internationally competitive capital market.