The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, has said trust is the foundation of banking, and that when trust is weakened, the consequences extend beyond individual institutions to the wider financial system and the economy.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Director of Communications, Bernard Otabil, as Special Guest of Honour at the 30th National Banking and Ethics Conference organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB), Ghana, at the Aqua Safari Resort, on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, Governor Dr Asiama emphasised that ethics is central to financial stability.
Reflecting on the 2017-2019 financial sector clean-up, the Governor stressed that poor governance, insider dealings and unethical conduct contributed significantly to institutional failures. A bank can have capital and technology, but without integrity in leadership, it remains vulnerable.
On cybersecurity, Governor Dr Asiama said it is also a human and governance issue. Cyberattacks, he said, do not always succeed through sophisticated methods alone. Sometimes the weakest link is a person within the institution. Banks must, therefore, invest not only in technology, but in people, training and strong governance.
Technology, AI and virtual assets offer great opportunities for inclusion and efficiency, the Governor noted, but innovation must not weaken integrity, accountability and financial stability. Ethics must be built into the design of new products, not added as an afterthought.
Looking ahead, the Governor said the future will belong to institutions that combine innovation with prudence, efficiency with fairness, and profitability with responsibility.
The Governor commended CIB Ghana for sustaining the Conference for three decades and urged participants to use the deliberations to strengthen ethical conduct and prepare the industry for the future.
The theme for this year’s conference was: “Banking on the Future: Trust, Technology and Transformation (3T Conference)”.
