Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) inaugurated “Mesob,” Ethiopia’s first one-stop digital service center, yesterday. The Center, which marks the pilot phase of a broader national project, integrates services from 12 federal government institutions and offers 41 public services through a fully digital, paperless process.
Named after the traditional Ethiopian woven serving basket that brings multiple dishes together, “Mesob” symbolizes the country’s effort to consolidate and modernize public service delivery. Citizens can now access key services such as licensing, digital ID registration, immigration services, tax payments, investment facilitation, and more — all under one roof through a digital platform.
The institutions providing services through Mesob include:
- National Identification Service
- Immigration and Citizenship Service
- Document Verification and Registration Service
- Ministry of Revenue
- Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration
- Ministry of Labor and Skills
- Ethiopian Investment Commission
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Educational Assessment and Examination Service
- Ethio Post
- Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
- Ethio Telecom
The Mesob system was locally developed by the Civil Service Commission and the Ministry of Planning and Development, reflecting Ethiopia’s focus on homegrown innovation. Prime Minister Abiy had previously informed parliamentarians that Mesob would soon be inaugurated, adding that all ministries would eventually be incorporated into the platform.
Digitization of public services has been a key pillar of Ethiopia’s civil service reform agenda. In recent years, public procurement, several utility payments in the capital, and fuel transactions have moved to digital platforms. The national digital ID project, Fayda, has also seen significant progress, registering over 13.5 million people to date.
In addition, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology recently launched the National Business Portal (NBP), which provides end-to-end support for prospective investors with integrated payment options, complaint management, and case tracking services.
The launch of Mesob marks a major step forward in Ethiopia’s broader efforts to modernize government services and improve public sector efficiency.
