Ethiopia has secured entry into The Rockefeller Foundation's financial Acceleration Program, a strategic step aimed at unlocking crucial long-term funding for its national development goals. The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings.

Finance Minister Ahmed Shide met with William Asiko, Senior Vice President for Africa at The Rockefeller Foundation, to discuss scaling up sustainable development and climate financing.

Minister Ahmed emphasized that the Foundation’s global priorities align closely with Ethiopia's ambitious 10-Year Development Plan, which requires "adequate, long-term, and affordable financing." He expressed the country's appreciation for the Foundation’s commitment to climate and development initiatives.

The Minister highlighted several key areas where collaboration would be expanded:

Building institutional capacity for macroeconomic management.

Enhancing resilience financing.

Scaling up climate adaptation initiatives.

For his part, Asiko affirmed the Foundation's commitment, confirming that Ethiopia would be onboarded into the Acceleration Program. This program provides tailored technical assistance designed to help countries efficiently access rapid financing mechanisms, such as the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST).

The meeting concluded with a discussion on fostering catalytic partnerships that blend public policy reform with private sector innovation across vital sectors, including sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and data-driven development planning.