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Inner Circle | Ethiopia
Inside Abiy Ahmed's circle of new business barons

Published on 17.10.2025 at 04:40 GMT Reading time 4 minutes

The new governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia, Eyob Tekalign (left), and the CEO of Ethiopia Investment Holdings, Brook Taye, in London, October 2024. © REUTERS

Mining, infrastructure, banking... The leader of the Prosperity Party has entrusted a team of young financiers with the keys to the country's strategic projects. They have forged close links with a network of businessmen and intermediaries who have become key players on the Ethiopian economic scene.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed didn't rock any boats when he replaced high-profile central bank Governor Mamo Mihretu with his State Minister of Finance Eyob Tekalign Tolina on 19 September. Like his predecessor, Eyob is part of a small elite that has gradually established itself in the Addis Ababa business landscape. The two men, who have been

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Inner Circle | Ethiopia
Inside Abiy Ahmed's circle of new business barons