In remarks at the 3i Africa Summit, Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama set out the central bank’s approach to the next phase of digital finance, arguing that the focus should move beyond basic payments toward higher-value services such as digital credit, merchant payments, embedded finance, supply chain finance and cross-border services. He highlighted the Bank’s work to build a regulatory and market environment that supports innovation while preserving stability and trust, including advancing the regulatory regime for virtual assets, issuing guidelines for digital credit, progressing open banking and supporting cross-border fintech activity. The speech framed this agenda against wider regional progress in financial inclusion, citing a World Bank estimate that about 49 percent of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa now have access to digital financial accounts. The Governor said the main constraints have shifted from access to fragmentation, cost and uneven regulatory alignment, with a greater need to connect systems and strengthen service infrastructure around regulation. Priorities he identified included clearer and faster regulatory processes, stronger digital identity and know your customer frameworks, improved data quality, closer coordination across institutions and support for indigenous firms seeking the partnerships, capital and infrastructure needed to scale.
Bank of Ghana 2026-05-06
Bank of Ghana outlines digital finance agenda at 3i Africa Summit with virtual asset regime digital credit rules and open banking
The Bank of Ghana Governor outlined the next phase of digital finance at the 3i Africa Summit, shifting from basic payments to higher-value services such as digital credit, embedded finance, supply chain finance and cross-border offerings. He highlighted work on virtual asset regulation, digital credit guidelines, open banking and cross-border fintech, stressing that key challenges now concern fragmentation, cost and regulatory alignment rather than basic access. Priorities include clearer regulatory processes, stronger digital identity and KYC frameworks, better data quality, improved institutional coordination and support for indigenous firms to scale.