Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiamah, has called on African leaders to intensify collaborative efforts across the continent to achieve the ambitious goal of a unified African market.
Speaking at the 2025 3i Africa Summit – Policy Forum, held in Accra under the theme “One Africa, One Market: Driving Innovation, Investment, and Impact for a Connected Future,” Dr. Asiamah emphasized the critical need for continental coordination to drive progress.
“To fully realize the vision of One Africa, One Market, we must scale our efforts through harmonized regulatory frameworks, interoperable financial infrastructure, and enhanced trust and transparency across jurisdictions,” the Governor stated. “No single institution, regardless of its resources, can achieve this transformation in isolation.”
Highlighting Ghana’s commitment, Dr. Asiamah pointed to the Bank of Ghana’s active role in regional integration initiatives. These include its involvement with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), as well as a bilateral fintech passporting partnership with the National Bank of Rwanda.
He also announced a new collaborative project: The Next-Gen Digital Payment Infrastructure (DPI), a joint effort with the National Bank of Rwanda and the Global Financial Technology Network (Singapore). The initiative aims to modernize Africa’s cross-border payment systems through a central bank-led, innovation-driven model, developed in partnership with fintechs and financial institutions.
The DPI project will pilot scalable solutions that can be replicated across the continent to accelerate financial interoperability and unlock Africa’s digital economy potential.
“As we begin today’s dialogue, I urge us to be ambitious, pragmatic, and united,” Dr. Asiamah said. “Let us focus not only on what is possible, but on what is essential—building a connected African financial ecosystem by 2030.”
He called on attendees to use the Forum as a catalyst for real change: “Let this Forum be a turning point where vision meets action, where policy enables innovation, and where Africa steps confidently into its role as a digital financial powerhouse.”
The Forum’s discussions focused on several strategic priorities for advancing Africa’s digital financial integration, including:
- Attracting sustainable investment in fintech and digital finance;
- Harmonizing regulatory frameworks to enable cross-border payments;
- Empowering SMEs as engines of regional trade and innovation;
- Implementing the Digital Trade Protocol to foster regulatory alignment;
- Promoting responsible use of stablecoins and digital assets; and
- Unlocking investor capital through strategic de-risking initiatives.
The event brought together policymakers, central bankers, fintech leaders, and investors to shape the next phase of Africa’s digital financial transformation.
