Ethiopia to Establish Globally Recognized CPA Training Center

19 June 2025
The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa)

- Ethiopia is preparing to establish a globally recognized Certified Public Accountants (CPA) training center, the Accounting and Auditing Board of Ethiopia (AABE) disclosed.

In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, AABE Acting Director General Fekadu Agonafir said that his organization is preparing to set up an internationally recognized CPA training center in Ethiopia. It would enable the provision of CPA, a globally respected accounting qualification. So far, there has been no professional accountants' institution in the country.

Ethiopia is one of the countries in Africa with a limited number of professional accountants. Currently, the country has only 540 certified professional accountants, most of whom were trained abroad, mainly in the UK. A lack of awareness and unaffordable training costs including 150 pound for a single course and high annual membership fees, have significantly contributed to the low number of accountants, he said.

Due to the shortage of certified accountants in the country, foreign accountants are providing accounting services for domestic institutions, mainly banks, insurance companies, and others. Lack of awareness and high training costs are among the key factors contributing to the limited number of certified public accountants. To address this gap, the country has been working to establish training institutions that can offer courses at affordable prices, he added.

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Establishing a training center would help provide affordable professional training and accounting services both locally and internationally, retain remittance income, and more. Recently, the Ethiopian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (ETICPA) was officially approved, marking a significant milestone for the accounting profession, he elaborated.

Furthermore, having globally recognized and certified accountants would create opportunities for trusted financial reporting, auditing, and other services. The proclamation has already been ratified, and a ten-year strategic plan has also been prepared. Now, the process of establishment is underway.

To address the shortage of accountants and auditors and to build AABE's capacity, the board is preparing to launch a CPA training center within the next six months. Preparations for the center's establishment are already in progress, he stated.

The Acting Director highlighted that certified public accountant training includes about 13 papers or courses. Among them, 10 are standard courses recognized globally, aimed at making professionals competitive worldwide. The remaining courses will be designed based on the country's laws, he noted.

Read the original article on Ethiopian Herald.

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