The Annual East Africa Finance Summit took place on May 9th and 10th, 2024, at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel. The 7th EAFS was co-organized by The i-Capital Africa Institute, Addis Ababa University, Association of Ethiopian Insurers, and Nairobi Securities Exchange, with the strategic partnerships of Ethio Telecom, Ethiopian Capital Market Authority, FSD Ethiopia and Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.

The capital markets in Africa have a long and complex history. The earliest capital markets on the continent can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where a system of credit and exchange using grain as a medium of exchange developed. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, European colonial powers introduced modern capital markets to various parts of Africa, often using them to finance infrastructure projects and extract natural resources.

I had the opportunity to lead a team of experts at Adama Science and Technology University in 2014. Our task was to create Ethiopia's Cement Industry Development Strategy for the period from 2015 to 2025. This strategy was intended to be used as input for GTP-II and, without exaggeration, it was one of the most thoroughly prepared industry strategies Ethiopia has ever had (and it remains so to this day).