The Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA) has approved the registration of 210,000,000 shares of Cooperative Bank of Oromia S.C., comprising both existing and newly offered shares, in one of the larger share registrations the authority has processed to date.

In a notice dated October 1, 2026, ECMA confirmed it had approved the Registration Statement of Cooperative Bank of Oromia S.C. on September 30, 2026. The registered shares consist of two tranches: 128,000,000 existing shares already held by shareholders, and 82,000,000 new shares approved to be offered to existing shareholders.

The registration follows Article 75 of the Capital Market Proclamation No. 1248/2021 and Articles 4 and 29 of the Public Offer and Trading of Securities Directive No. 1030/2024, which require all securities offered to the public to be registered with the Authority.

The inclusion of new shares alongside the existing tranche is notable. Cooperative Bank of Oromia is not only bringing its current share structure into the capital market framework but is also preparing to raise fresh capital from its existing shareholder base, a more active use of the registration process than straightforward compliance alone.

Cooperative Bank of Oromia is one of Ethiopia’s largest cooperative-model financial institutions, with a shareholder base drawn significantly from cooperative societies across the country. Its entry into the ECMA registration framework extends the pipeline well beyond the commercial banks and insurance companies that have dominated registrations so far, and signals that Ethiopia’s capital market is beginning to reach a broader and more diverse range of financial institutions.

The registration of securities does not constitute a public offer or solicitation and does not set a listing date on the ESX.

Source: ECMA