Ghana, 2 others pilot AfCFTA digital trade - Vice-President says new corridor to eliminate delays, high costs of intra-African transactions

Ghana will pilot a continental digital trade corridor to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has said.

She explained that the initiative, to be conducted in partnership with countries such as Rwanda and Zambia, would test mobile money interoperability, cross-border digital identity and harmonise electronic invoicing.

She stressed that the new corridor would eliminate delays and high costs associated with routing intra-African transactions through external financial systems, while strengthening direct local currency payments through platforms such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).

Opening the 3i Africa Summit in Accra yesterday, the Vice-President stated that building integrated digital systems at scale was critical to unlocking Africa’s trade potential and ensuring that the continent competed effectively in the global digital economy.

“Ghana will work with everyone – Rwanda, Zambia and other partners — to pilot a continental digital trade corridor,” he said.

The summit

The 2026 3i Africa Summit opened at the Destiny Arena in Accra to signal Africa’s readiness to embrace emerging financial technologies with confidence, regulatory clarity and strong institutional leadership.

On the theme, “The next frontier: shaping Africa’s integrated FinTech future,” the summit, now in its second edition and held biennially, is hosting over 3,000 participants.

It is organised by the 3i Africa Summit Secretariat at the Bank of Ghana in collaboration with Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) and Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS).

The opening ceremony was attended by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama; the First Deputy Governor, Dr Zakari Mumuni; the Second Deputy Governor, Matilda Asante Asiedu; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GhIPSS, Clara B. Arthur; CEO of GFTN Solutions, Maha El Dimachki, and other dignitaries.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stated that the proposed corridor would be implemented, tested and measured with a focus on mobile money interoperability, mutual recognition of digital identity for cross-border Know Your Customer (KYC) processes and harmonised electronic invoicing.

She explained that the initiative formed part of efforts to deepen regional integration under the AfCFTA and strengthen the continent’s participation in the global digital economy.

She stressed that achieving that vision would require strong collaboration among African countries and stakeholders to ensure seamless digital integration across borders.

“The systems we build will determine whether Africa participates in the global digital economy on her own terms or operates within frameworks defined elsewhere,” she said.

Critical moment

For his part, Dr Asiama stated that the summit marked a critical moment for Africa’s financial sector, where progress in access must translate into real economic value and scale.

He said while nearly half of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa now had access to digital financial accounts, the next phase would require deeper innovation beyond payments into areas such as digital credit, supply chain finance and cross-border services.

Governor Asiama explained that the key challenge facing the continent was no longer access, but fragmentation, high costs and uneven regulatory alignment, which continued to limit the full potential of digital finance.

Dr Asiama stated that stronger coordination, improved data systems and robust digital identity frameworks would be essential to building trust and scaling financial services.

“Digital finance is no longer at the margins of financial sector development; it is central to how value is created, how trust is built, and how economies compete,” the Governor stated.

Sustained collaboration

For her part, Ms Arthur stated that the future of Africa’s payment systems depended on unity of purpose and sustained collaboration across both public and private sectors.

“We cannot build the next phase of digital finance in silos; we must build it together, deliberately and with trust,” she said. 

She stated that GhIPSS would continue to invest in secure, scalable and inclusive infrastructure to support innovation across the continent.

The GhIPSS CEO said strengthening interoperability across borders would be key to unlocking Africa’s single digital market and making intra-African trade more efficient. 

“The systems we build today must not only serve our present needs but must also anticipate the scale and complexity of tomorrow’s economy,” Ms Arthur said.