Ghana is capable of leading Africa’s next phase of digital finance transformation, the Divisional Director for West Africa (Gulf of Guinea) at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, has said.
She said the country had already demonstrated the power of digital innovation through the rapid growth of mobile money services and the emergence of technology hubs in Accra training young entrepreneurs and developers.
“Ghana knows what is possible. From the mobile money revolution that brought millions into the financial system to the tech hubs in Accra training the next generation of developers and entrepreneurs, this country has already shown that digital innovation can change lives at scale,” Ms Kouassi-Akon added.
She was speaking at the 3i Africa summit in Accra on Wednesday.
Event
The three-day event was on the topic: “Harnessing continental digital public infrastructure for economic development”.
It explored why the next phase of Africa’s growth depends on moving beyond fragmented solutions toward more integrated financial systems.
Drawing on experience across Africa and global markets, the session shared practical insights on what it takes to strengthen connections across the financial ecosystem, and how this can position Africa as a more active and competitive player in the global financial system.
Digital transformation
Ms Kouassi-Akon said that the next phase of Africa’s digital transformation would depend on the ability of countries to build connected and interoperable systems capable of supporting regional trade and economic growth.
She said fragmented payment platforms, disconnected data systems and uneven digital regulations continued to limit the ability of African businesses to scale beyond domestic markets.
Ms Kouassi-Akon said that digital public infrastructure such as interoperable payment systems, digital identity platforms and trusted data exchange frameworks would become critical in driving the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“The question is no longer whether Africans can connect. The question is whether our systems connect well enough to drive growth, jobs, competitiveness and scale,” she added.
Ms Kouassi-Akon urged African governments to address infrastructure deficits, affordability challenges and gaps in digital adoption.
She said stronger public-private partnerships would help mobilise long-term capital and technical expertise needed to expand digital infrastructure and accelerate innovation across the continent.
Investment
Ms Kouassi-Akon said that the International Finance Corporation had invested more than $9.6 billion in digital infrastructure over the past decade to support connectivity, cloud computing, digital finance and data services across Africa.
She said the IFC had also provided a $100 million financing package to Raxio Group, a pan-African data centre platform, to expand carrier-neutral facilities in countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh