Ghana’s National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) says a digital platform it is preparing to launch will tackle fraud, extend pension coverage to informal sector workers, and give contributors real-time visibility over their own savings.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, April 29, NPRA Chief Executive Officer Christopher Boadi-Mensah said the Pensions Digital Ecosystem (PDE) represents a fundamental shift in how Ghana administers and regulates retirement savings. The platform will integrate biometric verification through the National Identification Authority (NIA), using Ghana Card data to eliminate identity-related fraud and clean up contributor records, which have historically been marred by inaccuracies.
Once operational, workers will be able to track their contributions and benefits in real time, verify that employers are making payments on their behalf, and flag discrepancies without having to go through intermediaries. For regulators, the system will equip the NPRA with enhanced reporting and supervisory tools that enable earlier detection of irregularities among trustees, fund managers and employers.
Boadi-Mensah said the PDE is also designed to pull the country’s large informal workforce into the pension system. With approximately 80 percent of Ghana’s labour force working outside formal employment, only around 1.2 million informal sector workers are currently enrolled in any pension scheme. The platform aims to change that by allowing traders, artisans, farmers and the self-employed to register and contribute through mobile phones and fintech platforms, removing the administrative barriers that have historically discouraged participation.
“The digital platform is expected to simplify registration and contribution processes, making it easier for traders, artisans, farmers and self-employed workers to enrol onto pension schemes using mobile phones and fintech platforms,” Boadi-Mensah said.
The NPRA says total pension assets under management reached approximately GH¢109 billion at the end of 2025, a pool that the Authority believes can grow significantly if informal sector enrolment improves. The PDE is part of a wider reform push that includes stronger enforcement against employer defaults and a revised investment framework directing more pension funds into infrastructure and alternative assets.
The Authority has not yet announced a specific launch date for the platform, but has described the rollout as imminent.
