Urban Economy and Role of the Town

     The town serves as zone administration transport, conference and commercial center. There are 884 manufacturing industries, 676 retail trades, 255 service trades, six fuel station, four garages and 249 Other businesses. In the town There are eight (Commercial bank of Ethiopia, construction & business bank, development bank, Awash International Bank and Oromia Cooperative Bank, Ethiopian Insurance Corporation) banks giving services in the town.

The average annual revenue of the municipality in 2005 was 25,956,237birr (2006-2010) and the major sources of revenue were trade and land related revenues. The per capita revenue within the same Period was 337.90 Birr. The major investment opportunities in the town are: agro processing, recreation centers, wholesale trade, hotels, real state, motels, dairy farming and grain trades.

Nekemte town has economic linkages with the surrounding areas and Addis Ababa. The town gets grain products, livestock supply, natural resources (fuel wood and charcoal) and labor from surrounding areas, manufacturing and commercial products from Addis Ababa.

Social Services

Education

    There are 13 privately owned kindergartens; ten government and six private primary (1-8 grade) schools; two private and two government junior secondary schools (9-10 grades); three government and one private senior secondary school (11-12 grade); one governmental university;  and 12 private colleges.