ReFinD convened a high-level roundtable on “Enhancing Governance in Agent Banking Networks for Deeper Financial Inclusion at the Last Mile,” bringing together people from Ghana’s financial sector ecosystem including providers, agents, and academics alongside the regulator. Organised as part of the Evidence to Action Conference 2025 (E2A 2025), the roundtable provided an inclusive and neutral platform for open dialogue, policy reflection, and knowledge exchange -- rooted in practice and evidence.
“This is the first time ReFinD has created a dedicated platform that brings together providers, agents, and the regulator in one room for open, structured, and evidence-informed dialogue on such a critical issue. It’s a significant milestone — and a foundation we intend to build on,” said Prof. Peter Quartey, Director of ISSER and Executive Director of the ReFinD Project, in remarks after the successful event.
Prof. Quartey underscored the urgent need to strengthen governance in Ghana’s rapidly evolving agent banking sector, calling on participants to engage in open and candid dialogue.
“While agent banking has been instrumental in extending financial services to unbanked populations, its rapid expansion has exposed gaps in our regulatory and operational frameworks that we must address to protect the gains we've made in financial inclusion.”
Mr. Kwame Oppong, Head of the Fintech and Innovation Office at the Bank of Ghana delivered the keynote address, outlining the regulator’s vision for a more secure, inclusive, and resilient last-mile financial services ecosystem. His remarks touched on the current state of agent banking regulation in Ghana, key pain points within the system, and priority areas for regulatory review and enhanced industry collaboration.
The roundtable featured three thematic sessions. The first, “Regulatory Governance Enhancements,” was moderated by Prof. Elikplim Agbloyor, Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS). It examined consumer protection concerns, supervisory innovations for managing a highly mobile agent network, and strategies to reduce fraud and clarify liability frameworks. Contributions came from representatives of the Bank of Ghana and Ecobank’s Agent Banking unit.
In the second session, “Operational Governance by Providers and Super-Agents,” moderated by Prof. Vera Fiador, also of the UGBS, the focus shifted to the practicalities of training, liquidity management, and customer redress. Insights were shared by Fidelity Bank, MTN Mobile Money, and ABSA, who offered use cases and innovations aimed at improving efficiency and reliability at agent points.
Dr. Michael Kodom, Research Fellow at ISSER, led the third session on “The Role of Agent Industry Associations.” This segment featured Evans Otumfour, General Secretary of the Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana, and Edward Ofori Agyeman, President of the Mobile Money Advocacy Group, who discussed self-regulation, agent welfare, and the evolving role of associations in improving industry standards and advocacy.
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The discussions concluded with a synthesis and action planning session facilitated by Prof. Peter Quartey, summarising key recommendations across three areas: regulatory and policy actions for the Central Bank, operational commitments for service providers and associations, and research partnerships to address persistent knowledge gaps.
Held on 15 July 2025 at ISSER, the roundtable marked ReFinD’s second side event at the E2A 2025 Conference, building on the momentum of a successful engagement on 14 July. It also underscored the strength of ReFinD’s convening power—its unique ability to bring together the key players in Ghana’s financial inclusion ecosystem to share practical experiences and generate insights that inform both policy reform and commercial innovation.
The recommendations emerging from the roundtable will inform a forthcoming policy paper, contributing to ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing governance and operational efficiency in Ghana’s agent banking ecosystem.