Huawei Digital Power has installed AI-enabled data center infrastructure at the Cooperative Bank of Oromia, aiming to improve uptime and energy efficiency as the bank processes growing volumes of digital transactions.
The bank adopted Huawei’s FusionModule2000 and UPS5000-E modular systems, which integrate power, cooling, and monitoring with AI-based predictive analysis. The system can forecast failures up to 30 minutes in advance and achieve switchover times of under 30 seconds, helping core banking systems operate despite Ethiopia’s grid instability.
The deployment comes as U.S. policymakers debate restrictions on semiconductor and AI chip exports. Unlike GPU-driven AI systems, Huawei’s infrastructure embeds intelligence directly into power and cooling modules, effectively exporting AI capabilities as part of critical systems.
The Cooperative Bank of Oromia, Ethiopia’s third-largest private lender, serves 15 million customers across 745 branches. In 2024, it processed 3.6 trillion birr (about US$24.7 billion) in digital transactions, with more than 80% conducted online. Its Michu lending platform has disbursed 28.2 billion birr to 1.73 million small businesses, while Alhuda and Coop-Remit expand Sharia-compliant and diaspora remittance services.
The upgrade aligns with Ethiopia’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy, which targets 70% adult account ownership by 2025, and the Digital Ethiopia 2025 agenda, which prioritizes fintech expansion. Improved reliability allows banks to expand digital services without significant new energy investments.
Huawei projects the AI-driven systems will reduce monthly power consumption by about 200 kilowatt-hours compared with the bank’s previous setup, with a payback period of 2.3 years despite a 30% import duty on ICT equipment. Distributors list the systems at between US$200,000 and US$2 million depending on configuration.
Global rivals Schneider Electric, Vertiv, and Eaton are still piloting similar AI-based energy management technologies outside sub-Saharan Africa. If Coop Bank sustains high uptime, analysts expect deployments to follow in other regional financial hubs such as Nairobi, Lagos, and Accra.
The integration of Chinese-trained AI into African banking infrastructure also raises questions about cybersecurity, governance of operational data, and long-term reliance on proprietary systems. Ethiopia has yet to issue regulations on AI-enabled critical infrastructure, though resilience and security are key priorities in its financial digitization strategy.
