By Dawan Africa - Reporter
Ethiopia, 19 December 2025 — The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) has announced that customers who fail to link their bank accounts to a valid digital identity number will no longer be able to access banking services after the specified deadlines.
In a statement, the bank said customers must visit any CBE branch and provide their “Fayda” digital ID number to have it linked to their accounts, warning that non-compliance will result in the suspension of deposits, withdrawals, and other banking transactions.
The bank noted that implementation will be carried out in phases and will become mandatory starting 10 January 2026. Customers were urged to complete the process promptly to avoid service disruptions and to follow registration steps carefully to ensure the security of their accounts.
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According to the statement, the directive is based on instructions issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), which require all financial institutions to harmonize customer data with the national digital identity system. The central bank had notified banks on 4 December 2025 that the harmonization process is compulsory and forms part of a national plan to fully roll out digital ID services across the financial sector by 2030.
The NBE said the move aims to align customer records across banks, microfinance institutions, and insurance companies with the Fayda database, enhance security, improve service quality, and establish a unified digital financial infrastructure nationwide.
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