Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama
Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, has called on African nations to step up coordinated policy efforts to transform the continent into a single digital market.
He made the call while delivering opening remarks at the 3i Africa Policy Forum in Accra, a high-level meeting aimed at translating digital finance commitments into actionable strategies.
Held under the theme “One Africa, One Market: Driving Innovation, Investment, and Impact for a Connected Future,” the Forum brings together leaders in policy, regulation, finance, and technology to chart the way forward for digital financial integration across Africa.
Addressing participants at the Kempinski Hotel, Dr. Asiama described the theme as a strategic imperative rather than a mere aspiration. He said a connected future requires bold and coordinated action between the public and private sectors, grounded in forward-looking policies and the embrace of transformative technologies.
“Africa must no longer be seen as a patchwork of disconnected economies, but as a dynamic bloc powered by innovation and united by a commitment to inclusive and sustainable development,” he stressed.
Dr Asiama emphasised that the time has come to scale up promising national efforts through continental collaboration. While progress is visible in areas like fintech expansion, cross-border digital payments, and the creation of regulatory sandboxes, he warned that isolated national initiatives are not enough to achieve the broader vision of One Africa, One Market.
He highlighted several priority areas for immediate attention, including attracting sustainable investment into digital finance, harmonising regulatory frameworks to enable cross-border payments, empowering SMEs, operationalising the Digital Trade Protocol, responsibly adopting stablecoins and digital assets, and unlocking investor capital through strategic de-risking mechanisms.
“The aim is not just dialogue but deliverables — concrete steps that move us from intention to execution,” the Governor said.
Dr Asiama also announced a key cross-border collaboration involving the Bank of Ghana, the National Bank of Rwanda, and the Global Financial Technology Network (Singapore). The initiative, called the Next-Gen Digital Payment Infrastructure Project, seeks to modernise Africa’s cross-border payment ecosystem by piloting scalable, central bank-led solutions in partnership with fintechs and financial institutions.
He reaffirmed the Bank of Ghana’s commitment to the continental digital agenda, citing Ghana’s active participation in the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and bilateral fintech passporting arrangements as evidence of progress.
As discussions began, the Governor urged participants to be pragmatic yet ambitious in crafting the building blocks of a connected African financial ecosystem by 2030.
“Let this Forum be a turning point where vision meets action, where policy enables innovation, and where Africa steps confidently into its role as a digital financial powerhouse,” he concluded.