Sufian ahmed ethiopia biography of martin

The issue of foreign currency shortages in Ethiopia has been a persistent economic challenge for decades. Whenever this topic arises in policy discussions or the news, there is a quote that immediately comes to mind for many Ethiopians who have closely followed and been affected by this problem over the years. That famous quotation comes from Sufian Ahmed, who served a record tenure as Ethiopia’s Minister of Finance from 1996 to 2015.

In 2009, while still in his role leading the country’s economic policy, Sufian boldly declared that Ethiopia’s lack of foreign exchange reserves would not be resolved within his lifetime. His words have proved prophetic, as the problem has only grown more severe with time. Though Sufian has long since exited politics and from his official position, the conditions he warned about have continued to plague Ethiopia’s economy.

As the years have passed since Sufian uttered that remark, the foreign currency shortage has worsened con