Ethiopia Appoints Telecom CEO as Innovation Minister

A leader who brought 5G, mobile banking, and electric vehicle charging to millions of Ethiopians is now stepping into a role where she can expand that vision nationwide.

Frehiwot Tamru became Ethiopia's new Minister of Innovation and Technology this week after serving as CEO of state-owned Ethio Telecom since 2018. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's appointment was approved by the House of Peoples' Representatives as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

Under Tamru's leadership, Ethio Telecom grew beyond basic phone service into a digital transformation engine. The company launched 5G networks, rolled out mobile financial services, and even built electric vehicle charging stations in the capital, Addis Ababa.

The numbers tell the story of her impact. Revenue jumped 33% in the most recent fiscal year, while earnings before interest and taxes soared 47.5%.

Ethio Telecom serves 87 million mobile subscribers in a country of 120 million people, making it the dominant player even after Ethiopia ended its telecom monopoly in 2021. That massive reach gave Tamru a testing ground for digital services that could work at national scale.

Her move to government comes at a pivotal moment for Ethiopia's tech sector. Just months before her appointment, she initiated strategic talks with the African Development Bank to advance the country's broader digital transformation goals.

The Ripple Effect

Tamru's appointment signals something bigger than one career move. Ethiopia is betting that the skills needed to modernize a massive telecom company are exactly what's needed to drive national innovation policy.

She's proven she can balance commercial success with public service, turning a traditional state operator into a forward-thinking digital company. Now she'll work to replicate that transformation across government and private sectors.

The timing matters too. As Africa's second most populous nation pushes to compete in the digital economy, having a minister who understands both technology and how to deploy it at scale could accelerate progress.

Her track record suggests she knows how to make ambitious plans real. Launching 5G service and building EV infrastructure weren't just headlines, they changed how millions of Ethiopians live and work.

Ethiopia just promoted someone who's already delivered results to a position where she can deliver even more.