Solomon Damtew Birhanu

Solomon Damtew Birhanu

Director, Payment and Settlement Systems Directorate, National Bank of Ethiopia

Solomon Damtew Birhanu is the Director of the Payment and Settlement Systems Directorate at the National Bank of Ethiopia. The main responsibility of the Directorate is to develop a national payment system, ensuring its safety, inclusiveness, and reliability (oversight). The Directorate also operates the interbank payment system/RTGS/, provides banking services for the government, and handles primary and open market operations of the National Bank.

Solomon has more than 13 years of experience at the National Bank of Ethiopia and has led the design and implementation of the National Digital Payment Strategy (NDPS) from 2021 to 2024. This strategy has brought significant change in the area of fintech regulation, interoperable infrastructure, innovation, and adoption of various use cases. He has also served on a steering committee for the development of the Ethiopian financial inclusion strategy for 2027, which aims to achieve a 75% financial inclusion target by the end of 2027. Currently, Solomon oversees the implementation of the Ethiopian Instant Payment System project.

Apart from participating in regional and international seminars, workshops, and trainings, Solomon obtained a master’s degree in accounting and finance from Addis Ababa University.