Government ramps up e-services, digital ID, and payments, but rural gaps remain

Highlights:

● Over 900 government services digitized under "Digital Ethiopia 2025"

● 20.4M+ citizens issued digital IDs via national e-ID program

● UN ranks Ethiopia’s e-gov score below the African average, but reforms are gaining pace

 Ethiopia’s digital transformation could add up to $10.8 billion to its GDP by 2028, according to GSMA estimates. To unlock this potential, the government has digitized more than 900 public services under its Digital Ethiopia 2025 plan, the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported.

A new national portal centralizes access to e-services, and more than 20.4 million digital ID cards have been issued to date. Seyoum Mengesha, Director General of Digital Economy Development, said the shift is also boosting online payments and nationwide connectivity. The overarching goal is to reduce bureaucracy and corruption, promote inclusion, and streamline state operations.

Regarding existing challenges, Ethiopia’s 2024 e-government index score was just 0.3111 (out of 1), well below Africa’s 0.4247 average, per the UN Department of Social Affairs. In response, Addis Ababa has partnered with Italy and rolled out MESOB (Modern Ethiopian Service for Organized Benefits) nationwide since June.

The next frontier: training citizens, improving cybersecurity, and closing rural connectivity gaps. Success could position Ethiopia as a continental leader in e-governance.

This article was originally reported in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum

Adapted into English by Ola Schad Akinocho.