Ahadu Bank Finds a Footing, But Policy Cloud Path to Ambition

For Sefialem Liben, the Bank's president, the story is not so much about the amount of profit as it is about how it was achieved in the face of several policy changes. The National Bank of Ethiopia's (NBE) lending cap “severely affected new entrants” like Ahadu, constraining their ability to expand loan portfolios. It compelled many in the industry to seek alternative strategies to generate income and control costs.