Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire – 29 May 2025 – As part of the ongoing Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank, Her Excellency W/ro Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance of Ethiopia, participated in the Governors’ Dialogue, which focused on the critical theme: “Africa’s Jobs for Youths Imperative – Navigating the Challenges and Leveraging the Opportunities of Africa’s Demographic Dynamics.”
During the session, the State Minister emphasized the urgent need to modernize Africa’s agricultural sector as a key driver of job creation. She called for a comprehensive approach that combines SME financing, youth empowerment, and entrepreneurship development. She also commended the African Development Bank’s Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank initiative, noting its potential to unlock transformative opportunities for young innovators and entrepreneurs across the continent.

In a separate bilateral meeting, the State Minister met with Mr. Donal Brown, Associate Vice President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). She expressed appreciation for IFAD’s ongoing support in enhancing rural livelihoods through agriculture and rural development projects in Ethiopia. The Minister also called for increased concessional financing, continued support for scaling up climate-resilient practices, and stronger engagement with the private sector. The discussion also explored innovative financing mechanisms to better support smallholder farmers and agri-SMEs. Mr. Brown reaffirmed IFAD’s commitment to strengthening collaboration in these key areas.

The State Minister also held discussions with representatives of the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank), where she provided an overview of Ethiopia’s macroeconomic reform performance. Both sides agreed to explore avenues for future partnership to support Ethiopia’s development priorities.