The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Johnson Asiama, has called on African countries to move beyond fintech experimentation and focus on scaling regulated digital financial solutions capable of delivering measurable economic impact.
Speaking at the Future of Finance Dialogue during the 3i Africa Summit 2026, Dr Asiama said the continent already possesses sufficient ideas, frameworks, and pilot initiatives, but continues to struggle with implementation and scale.
According to him, the central challenge facing Africa’s digital finance ecosystem is how to transition innovative concepts from controlled testing environments into fully regulated and commercially viable solutions.
He stressed that regulatory sandboxes should no longer be treated merely as temporary experimental platforms, but rather as strategic pathways that enable fintech firms to achieve full market participation and sustainable growth.
Dr Asiama argued that the true success of fintech innovation should not be measured by the number of companies admitted into regulatory programmes, but by the number of solutions that successfully evolve into trusted, scalable, and regulated services capable of improving livelihoods and supporting businesses.
Also speaking at the summit, Ethel Cofie, Chief Executive Officer of Edel Technology Consulting, urged fintech companies across the continent to prioritise collaboration as a key driver of growth within Africa’s digital finance ecosystem.
She emphasised that no single fintech company can independently solve Africa’s financial inclusion challenges, insisting that strategic partnerships will be essential to achieving scale and long-term sustainability.
Cofie further encouraged stronger cooperation between fintech firms, regulators, banks, and technology providers in order to develop interconnected solutions capable of expanding seamlessly across African markets.
According to her, the future of African fintech will depend less on isolated innovation and more on integrated ecosystems that promote interoperability and shared growth.
The summit brought together policymakers, regulators, investors, and technology leaders from across the continent to examine the future of digital finance, innovation, and financial inclusion in Africa.
