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Addis Ababa Hosts African Mayors Forum After UNECA Recognizes City’s Financial Reforms
Addis Ababa on Tuesday hosted a peer learning forum bringing together mayors and regional administrators from several African cities, following a United Nations Economic Commission for Africa assessment that ranked the Ethiopian capital as the top performer in urban financial management among surveyed cities.
According to a statement shared by Mayor Adanech Abiebie on her verified Facebook page, the forum was convened after UNECA conducted an in depth survey evaluating the financial management performance of African cities. Addis Ababa was selected to present its experience after recording strong results in five of the six key indicators used in the assessment.
The study compared six cities, namely Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka, Kigali, and Yaoundé. UNECA’s findings identified Addis Ababa as the leading performer, citing reforms introduced to modernize revenue collection and financial resource management as effective and replicable across the continent.
The mayor noted that 71 percent of the city’s total revenue has been allocated to development projects, a move she said reflects the administration’s focus on translating financial reforms into tangible public benefits. Visiting delegations are expected to tour several of these projects as part of the forum.
City officials said Addis Ababa will use the platform to share lessons on building financial and revenue capacity and linking improved fiscal management with urban transformation. The forum is intended to promote mutual learning and cooperation among African cities facing similar governance and development challenges.
The mayor expressed appreciation to UNECA for conducting the study and to city residents and municipal staff for their role in the reforms. Addis Ababa, which hosts the African Union and several UN agencies, continues to position itself as a hub for continental dialogue on urban governance and development.
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