Ethiopia Appoints Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru as Innovation Minister

Ethiopia Appoints Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru as Innovation Minister

Her appointment marks a significant shift from leading one of Ethiopia’s largest technology companies to helping shape the policies and ecosystem supporting the country’s next phase of digital growth.

Frehiwot Tamru, the chief executive who has led Ethiopia’s national telecom operator Ethio Telecom since 2018, has moved into government after being appointed Minister of Innovation and Technology.

The House of Peoples’ Representatives approved the appointment on Thursday, October 8, as lawmakers endorsed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s new cabinet for the government’s next five-year term. Her appointment brings extensive private-sector and telecommunications leadership experience into Ethiopia’s technology policy agenda.

Frehiwot has spent more than eight years at the helm of Ethio Telecom, overseeing its transition from a conventional telecommunications operator into a broader digital-services company. During her tenure, the business expanded across mobile connectivity, digital financial services, e-commerce, cloud, enterprise solutions and other emerging technologies.

Ethio Telecom’s latest results highlight the scale of that growth. In the 2025/26 financial year, the company recorded 215.8 billion birr in revenue, up 33.2% year on year, while its customer base reached 90.1 million. Its telebirr platform had 60.59 million customers, while the operator reported 10,613 mobile sites, 82.2% national 4G coverage and 5G services across 33 towns.

Telebirr has also become a major component of Ethiopia’s digital financial ecosystem. The platform processed 4.19 trillion birr in transactions during the financial year, bringing its cumulative transaction value since launch to 9.13 trillion birr.

Under its three-year “Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028” strategy, Ethio Telecom is seeking to further expand into digital finance, cloud services, digital platforms and enterprise technologies, with a target of reaching 100 million customers.

Frehiwot’s new role comes as Ethiopia continues to position digital infrastructure, innovation and technology-enabled economic activity as key parts of its national development plans. Ethio Telecom has been involved in several aspects of this transformation, including supporting the country’s national Digital ID programme.

Her recent engagements also include discussions with international technology companies on areas such as AI computing infrastructure, cloud services, enterprise digital transformation, smart-industry solutions, talent development and technology transfer. In July, she led talks between Ethio Telecom and Inspur Software Technology on these areas.

The move from Ethio Telecom to the Ministry of Innovation and Technology gives Frehiwot experience spanning both the operational and strategic sides of Ethiopia’s digital transformation. Her tenure at the telecom operator has coincided with major growth in connectivity, digital financial services and technology-based enterprise offerings.

The transition also comes as Ethio Telecom enters the second year of its Next Horizon strategy. For 2026/27, the company is targeting revenue of 295 billion birr while continuing to expand its digital and enterprise services.