Ghana’s interoperable mobile money system recorded substantial growth throughout 2025, providing critical infrastructure for regional trade and financial integration, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) said on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Johnson Pandit Asiama at the African Prosperity Dialogue, Second Deputy Governor Matilda Asante-Asiedu emphasized the role of Ghana’s digital infrastructure in supporting real-time payments across banks, mobile money operators, and fintech platforms.
Bank of Ghana data shows that the transaction value of interoperable mobile money rose from 3.1 billion cedis in December 2024 to 5.8 billion cedis in December 2025, an increase of 87 percent. The number of transactions increased from approximately 20 million to 29 million, a 45 percent rise over the same period.
Growth remained steady throughout the year, with acceleration between April and August 2025, and a peak in December, reflecting increased activity during the festive period. The rise in transaction value outpaced the increase in transaction numbers, suggesting that higher value payments are increasingly being conducted through interoperable channels.
Asante-Asiedu said Ghana has deliberately built a modern, interoperable, and resilient payment ecosystem. She noted that investments in digital public infrastructure have enabled interoperability across banks, mobile money operators, and fintech institutions, supporting real-time payments across the economy. These domestic successes provide a strong platform for regional integration, she added.
The interoperability system, launched in 2018, enables customers to transfer money across different mobile network operators and between mobile wallets and bank accounts, eliminating restrictions that previously limited users to single networks.
Ghana is also a key participant in the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which allows cross-border payments in local currencies, shortens settlement chains, and reduces costs for African traders.
Asante-Asiedu said high transaction costs and payment inefficiencies disproportionately affect small businesses, women traders, and young entrepreneurs. She noted that removing payment barriers will unlock scale, strengthen competitiveness, and expand opportunity across Africa.
The central bank highlighted complementary initiatives, including fintech passporting arrangements with Rwanda, pilot programs for next-generation digital public infrastructure, and the recently passed Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, which regulates emerging digital payment channels while safeguarding consumers.
The growth in Ghana’s interoperable mobile money ecosystem reflects the broader push to strengthen Africa’s financial integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). As the continent seeks to reduce cross-border transaction costs, Ghana’s experience demonstrates how robust domestic digital infrastructure can support both trade and financial inclusion.
Asante-Asiedu said that if African nations innovate with purpose, collaborate with conviction, and build systems that serve trade, cross-border payments will transform from a constraint into a powerful catalyst for shared prosperity. She noted that the single market will only succeed when value moves as seamlessly as ideas and entrepreneurs can transact across borders without friction.
