The Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea reported on its participation in the 15th annual roundtable of the African Financial Inclusion Policy Initiative in Luanda, where its first vice governor framed the next phase of financial inclusion around effective use of services, user trust and measurable economic impact rather than account ownership alone. For Guinea, the bank identified digital finance, payment interoperability and user protection as the main levers for turning wider access into durable economic gains for households, small businesses, women, young people and informal workers. The bank said access to accounts in Guinea rose from 4% in 2011 to about 36% in 2024, but argued that the main policy challenge has shifted to actual usage, confidence in the system and tangible improvements in living conditions. It linked that objective to stronger protection for users, oversight of safeguarded funds, transparency, cybersecurity and prudential supervision in digital finance. The Luanda final communiqué similarly called for public policy to move beyond expanding formal access and place greater weight on financial health, resilience of vulnerable groups, support for productive sectors such as agriculture and small enterprises, data-based decision-making and stronger regulatory coordination. The Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea said the Luanda discussions will feed into its ongoing update of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy under the West Africa Digital Integration Project in Guinea, with the aim of making the digital transition a driver of inclusion, security and economic transformation.

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