In his keynote address at the opening of the 3i Africa Summit at Destiny Arena in Accra on 6 May 2026, Bank of Ghana Governor Johnson Pandit Asiama emphasised the growing role of digital finance in building a resilient fintech ecosystem.
The Governor said African fintech institutions must move beyond expanding access to delivering real value and measurable impact.
While noting that about 49 per cent of adults in sub-Saharan Africa now have digital financial accounts, he stressed that the focus should shift from access to scalability, efficiency, and meaningful use of financial services.
Dr. Asiama added that the next phase of digital finance will extend beyond basic payments to include digital credit, embedded finance, supply chain finance, and cross-border services, with particular attention to women, MSMEs, and the informal sector.
He identified key challenges such as market fragmentation, high transaction costs, and weak regulatory coordination, and called for stronger system connectivity and collaboration across markets and institutions.
The Governor also outlined steps the Bank has taken to support digital finance, including developing a framework for virtual assets, issuing digital credit guidelines, advancing open banking, and promoting cross-border fintech activity.
