Ethiopia and Nigeria sign prisoner transfer agreement, pledge deeper cooperation
via The Reporter Ethiopia5 min read
Ethiopia and Nigeria have signed an agreement in Addis Ababa for the exchange or transfer of convicted prisoners. The accord, signed by Ethiopian Minister of Justice Hana Arayaselassie and Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, establishes a legal framework for transferring sentenced individuals between the two nations. This move is expected to enhance cooperation between their justice institutions. The signing followed discussions between Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos and his Nigerian counterpart Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, where both sides committed to broader bilateral cooperation on shared interests.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Reporter Ethiopia.
Ethiopia generated more than USD 9.8 billion in export revenue during the first 11 months of the fiscal year, according to the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration. This represents a significant increase from the USD 7.21 billion recorded during the same period of the previous fiscal year. Export earnings rose by 36.1 percent, which is approximately USD 2.6 billion, year-on-year. Trade Minister Kassahun Gofe stated that the government is working to maintain this momentum for the remaining weeks of the fiscal year.
Must ReadOlusegun Obasanjo, the African Union's high representative to the Horn, arrived in Mekelle today for discussions with Tigray's political leaders. His visit occurs amidst renewed tensions between the Tigray region and the federal government concerning the implementation of the Pretoria Agreement and military mobilization. Obasanjo was greeted by TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael, who was sworn in as regional president last month following a federally unrecognized vote. This vote reinstated the Tigray regional council despite the continued existence of the Tigray Interim Administration, which was mandated by the Pretoria Agreement. The former Nigerian president's visit also follows reports of drone strikes in northwestern Tigray last week, which the TPLF attributes to the federal government.
The National Bank of Ethiopia NBE has postponed its latest foreign-exchange auction, citing unforeseen technical issues. The NBE had previously announced on May 27 that it would conduct two foreign-exchange auctions of USD 100 million each during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. This amount represents a significant reduction from the previous auction, which offered USD 500 million. The next auction, valued at USD 100 million, was scheduled for June 24, 2026. Demand for foreign currency remains high, with commercial banks submitting bids totaling approximately USD 1 billion in the previous auction, double the amount offered by the central bank, as the Birr continues to weaken against the US Dollar. In that auction, the weighted average exchange rate for successful bids was 159.98 Birr per dollar, with the highest successful bid at 160.90 Birr per dollar and the lowest at 157.30 Birr. Fourteen of the 30 participating commercial banks secured foreign-currency allocations.