The Addis Ababa Finance Bureau has announced that it has identified 187.7 million Birr in financial irregularities across 75 public institutions following a comprehensive audit.
Bureau officials confirmed that immediate corrective measures have been implemented to address these findings.
This audit result comes at a critical time as the city administration faces a substantial 350 billion Birr financing gap for infrastructure projects and essential public services.
The Bureau emphasized that ensuring strict financial accountability is vital to efficiently managing limited resources and achieving the city's development objectives.
The Bureau significantly exceeded its annual audit target by 171 percent, expanding its oversight to 3,242 entities.
The quality of audit reports has also improved to 85 percent, a figure the Bureau cites as evidence of its strengthened monitoring capacity.
This performance has been instrumental in positioning Addis Ababa’s financial management at the forefront among African cities.
It is recalled that the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) previously ranked Addis Ababa as a leader in urban financial governance during a regional peer-review workshop held on January 22, 2026.
In that assessment, Addis Ababa outperformed other major cities, including Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka, Kigali, and Yaoundé, securing top scores in five out of six key financial indicators, including revenue management and resource allocation.
To modernize and increase the efficiency of its financial oversight, the Bureau has prioritized human resource development and procedural reforms.
Currently, 80 percent of the internal audit staff consists of experienced professionals, creating a robust foundation for the Bureau’s shift toward a proactive, risk-management-based approach.
Bureau officials noted that this intensified audit performance is essential to maintaining the confidence of development partners and external creditors.
They emphasized that the initiative is a strategic step toward attracting necessary capital to bridge the 350-billion-Birr financing gap and fostering trust in the city’s economic activities.
The current reform trajectory reflects Addis Ababa's broader commitment to ensuring financial transparency and sustainable urban development, positioning the city as a model for transformative governance in Africa.
