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Erudite AfricaCenter of Excellence

← Erudite Africa Center of ExcellenceCapital MarketSchool of Investment BankingIntermediate to Advanced

Due Diligence Mastery

Plan, run and report financial, legal, tax, commercial, ESG and IT due diligence on Ethiopian targets, and turn findings into deal terms

Lead a full due diligence on an Ethiopian target, from the request list and data room to a quantified DD report, price adjustments and deal protections, using a bank's acquisition of a microfinance institution as the running case.

Start the course

0 of 5 modules completed

What you will be able to do

  • Explain the purpose and types of due diligence and who performs each
  • Use a due diligence checklist and request list and organise a data room review
  • Identify common red flags in Ethiopian company records
  • Lead a multi-disciplinary due diligence and manage advisers
  • Quantify findings and translate them into price adjustments, warranties, indemnities and conditions
  • Perform commercial, IT and ESG due diligence and write a DD report
For
Analysts in investment banks, private equity funds, banks (credit and M&A) and audit firms, and due diligence leads, associates, credit and legal managers who plan and lead DD work. Learners should have completed 3.a Level 1 or have an accounting background.
Study time
About 6 hours online, in 5 modules (40 hours in the classroom version)
Each module
Short lessons, animated visuals, Ethiopian examples, decisions to make, the laws and directives that apply and worked calculations, then a quiz
Assessment
A 20-question final exam; pass mark 70%
Certificate
Erudite Africa Center of Excellence certificate of completion
Access
Module 1 free for registered users; the full course, exam and certificate for subscribers

The 5 modules

  1. Module 01Free previewPurpose, scope and planning of due diligenceDecide what kind of due diligence a deal needs, set materiality and scope, and run the request list, data room, advisers and Q&A to a timetable.7 lessons · 65 min · quiz
  2. Module 02Financial due diligence and quality of earningsTurn reported profit into sustainable earnings, prove it to cash, and find the net debt, debt-like items and loan book losses that the balance sheet does not show.7 lessons · 70 min · quiz
  3. Module 03Legal, regulatory, tax and labour DD and Ethiopian red flagsVerify ownership, licences, contracts and land rights, estimate tax and labour exposures, and recognise the red flags that recur in Ethiopian company records.7 lessons · 70 min · quiz
  4. Module 04Commercial, ESG, integrity and IT due diligenceTest the business plan when official data is thin, assess environmental, social and integrity risks, review core systems and cyber exposure, and lead the workstreams as one team.7 lessons · 70 min · quiz
  5. Module 05From findings to deal terms and the DD reportQuantify findings, convert them into price chips, indemnities, escrow, warranties and conditions, plan the first 100 days, and write and present a DD report a committee can act on.7 lessons · 70 min · quiz
  6. Officer simulationAn eight-week deal as due diligence lead at Bank A CapitalWork as due diligence lead, buy-side: 11 real-life items, decisions with consequences and a hand-over note. Pass with 70% to qualify for the certificate.
  7. Final examFinal exam and certificate20 applied questions across all 5 modules. Pass with 70% to download your certificate.

Built on

  • Erudite Africa training module: Ethiopian Context, topic 3.d Due Diligence Mastery, Levels 1 and 2 (October 2026)
  • NBE directives as listed in the lessons: SBB/90/2024, SBB/92/2024, MFI/36/2023, Instruction FCPED/142/26
  • Ethiopian tax laws: Income Tax Proclamation No. 979/2016 as amended by No. 1395/2025, VAT Proclamation No. 1341/2024, Federal Tax Administration Proclamation No. 983/2016, Transfer Pricing Directive No. 981/2024
  • ESX Rulebook (December 2024)
  • A commercial bank's Revised Credit Procedure Manual (August 2025), unnamed
  • IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability

Examples and companies are fictional. Bank practices are shown as typical Ethiopian practice, not as any one bank's policy. Always apply your own institution's approved policy and the current NBE directives.