The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, has called on Africa to move beyond expanding digital financial access and focus on delivering measurable economic impact, arguing the continent now has both the foundation and the momentum to do so.
Speaking at the 3i Africa Summit 2026 in Accra, Dr. Asiama said digital finance has moved from the margins to the centre of economic competitiveness, reshaping how value is created, trust is built and markets are connected across the continent.
“Africa is not starting from zero. We are starting from momentum,” he told the gathering, noting that nearly half of adults in sub Saharan Africa now hold digital financial accounts.
He described the next phase of the continent’s digital finance journey as one that must extend well beyond payments to cover digital credit, embedded finance, supply chain financing and cross border services for underserved groups, including women, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the informal sector.
Dr. Asiama identified fragmentation, high costs and uneven regulatory alignment as the constraints still limiting progress. He argued that the central challenge has shifted: the task is no longer building systems but connecting them.
On regulation, he rejected the notion that oversight and innovation are opposing forces. He outlined a range of measures already underway at the central bank, including frameworks for virtual assets, digital credit guidelines, open banking and cross border fintech operations. He added that stronger digital identity systems and more efficient regulatory processes would be essential to building the trust needed for scale.
He urged African countries to deepen coordination and prioritise the growth of indigenous fintech firms, arguing that a stronger continental financial ecosystem depends on homegrown solutions.
Dr. Asiama closed with a direct challenge to stakeholders: move beyond participation and take ownership of the continent’s financial future. He said the summit’s value would not be measured by the conversations held, but by the outcomes those conversations produce.
