Ethiopia Debuts Multi-Service App Designed to Reduce Bureaucracy

June 22, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Ethiopia has launched a new version of Mesob, its one-stop digital services platform, as the government seeks to move more public and private services onto a single digital interface and reduce the administrative burden on citizens and businesses.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) unveiled the application at a conference held under the theme “Digital for Excellence”, describing it as Africa’s first integrated digital services app. The platform is designed to allow users to access services offered by multiple institutions through a single entry point.

In a message posted on social media, Abiy said the initiative demonstrates the returns that can be achieved through sustained investment in technology and digital infrastructure.

The launch marks the latest stage in Ethiopia’s effort to digitise service delivery. Mesob was first introduced in 2025 as a one-stop digital service centre that combined services from several federal institutions, including identification, immigration, taxation, investment and telecommunications. The new application extends that model beyond physical service centres, placing a wider range of services onto a digital platform accessible through a mobile device.

For a country where citizens and businesses often navigate multiple offices and administrative procedures to complete routine transactions, the government is positioning the platform as a tool to simplify interactions with institutions and improve access to services.

Abiy said the system would help save time and resources, while reducing opportunities for corruption by limiting procedural bottlenecks and increasing transparency. He also argued that the platform could strengthen the effectiveness and reliability of public institutions.

The initiative forms part of a broader government push to build digital public infrastructure (DPI) under Digital Ethiopia initiative, a strategy that has included the rollout of digital identification systems, online public services and electronic payment platforms. Policymakers see these investments as critical to improving state capacity and supporting economic modernisation in a country of more than 130 million people.

The prime minister called for continued efforts to deepen digital transformation and urged stakeholders to share lessons from Ethiopia’s experience with other African countries pursuing similar initiatives.

Source: FSX Business News