Ethiopia's Hijra Bank awards core banking platform contract to software giant Path Solutions

August 23, 2021 - After receiving the green light from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), Hijra Bank, the second fully-fledged interest-free bank in the country has engaged in a highly competitive bidding and selection process which resulted in the selection and signing of an agreement with Path Solutions for the implementation of its AAOIFI-certified core banking platform.

Hijra Bank will be providing interest-free financial services – a strategy to capture the growing market share of the tech savvy devout customers wishing to comply with the principles of Islamic law, as well as those who prefer ethical and socially responsible banking services.

After over a decade of Ethiopians petitioning for Islamic banking products, Africa’s second most populous nation saw this year its second Islamic bank, increasing the people’s confidence in the sector and boosting the country’s financial inclusion plans. Additionally, with Ethiopia’s close proximity to Middle Eastern countries and major Islamic finance jurisdictions, and with the support of IsDB, the introduction of Islamic banking is expected to attract much-needed foreign investment and drive the government’s plan to liberalize its financial sector.