The vibrant landscape of Ghana’s FinTech industry has taken center-stage at the esteemed FinTech Islands event in Barbados.
A delegation from Ghana made up of Mr. Martin Kwame Awagah and Mr. Richard Nunekpeku, both from the Ghana FinTech and Payments Association, are representing the digital finance ecosystem.
Mr. Awagah, the Association’s President, kicked off the proceedings with a thought-provoking panel session on “Banking for All of Us: FinTech Innovation Driving Financial Inclusion.” His insights shed light on Ghana’s commitment to leveraging technology to foster financial inclusion on a broader scale.
He delved into how government policies such as the National Financial Inclusion Development Strategy (NFIDS), Digital Financial Services Policy, and the Cashlite Roadmap have set the stage for the country’s digital financial evolution, saying that, “these policies have tremendously transformed the delivery of financial services and we are even witnessing the offering of services in local languages, which is ensuring that financial access is not a barrier to the less educated. These solutions are reaching millions of citizens across various sectors of the economy, thereby enhancing financial inclusion.”
Panelists who joined Mr. Awagah were Mr. Zachary Harding (Founding Partner, Delta Capital Partners – Caribbean), Mr. Juan Zavala Aleman (CEO and Co-Founder, FinZi – Columbia) and Ms. Zia Paton (PwC Partner, Digital Services – Caribbean).
Next was Mr. Nunekpeku, the Vice President – Legal and Strategy at the Association, who made a significant contribution to the discourse on “Fintechs Driving Adoption of Digital Money” as the panel’s moderator. On this panel were Adam Swartzbaugh, Founder and CEO of Almond Finance and Aldwyn Wayne, Founder and CEO, Colour Bank and WiPay. His insights underscored the pivotal role that fintech companies play in driving the widespread adoption of digital currencies, such as crypto and stablecoins.
Culminating the day’s event, Mr. Awagah shared the stage with Mr. Kwame Oppong, Director of Fintech and Innovation at the Bank of Ghana, who joined in virtually, with Ms CarmelleCadet, Founder and CEO of EMTECH, a renowned suptechplatform at the forefront of digitizing regulatory processes, in a compelling discussion titled “CBDC Masterclass: Lessons Learned from the eCedi Hackathon.” This insightful session delved into the intricacies of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) implementation, drawing lessons from Ghana’s groundbreaking eCedi.
Ghana’s active participation in the FinTech Islands event reinforces its commitment to driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and contributing to the global dialogue on financial technology. The delegation’s engagements underscore the strides Ghana has made in embracing digital transformation to enhance financial services and promote inclusive economic growth.
The FinTech Islands event continues to be a platform where nations converge to share insights, collaborate, and shape the future of financial technology in the Caribbean. Ghana’s representation reflects the country’s standing as a key player in the global FinTech ecosystem.
