Bank of Ghana to host Queen Máxima as Ghana reviews progress in financial inclusion and digital finance

By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi & Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
November 3, 2026

The Bank of Ghana is preparing to host Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, for high-level discussions on Ghana’s progress in financial inclusion, digital finance and efforts to improve the financial wellbeing of households.

Queen Máxima is in Ghana for a four-day visit from November 2 to November 5, 2026, during which she is engaging government officials, financial institutions, development partners, business operators and ordinary users of financial services.

Her visit is expected to place particular emphasis on how Ghana can translate its expanding access to banking and digital financial services into greater financial security for individuals, families and businesses.

The Bank of Ghana is scheduled to host a roundtable discussion with Queen Máxima and senior financial sector leaders on Wednesday, November 4.

The engagement will bring together policymakers, banking executives, fintech companies, mobile network operators and other financial service providers to examine practical measures for making financial health a stronger priority across the financial industry.

The discussions are expected to explore how financial institutions can develop services that help customers manage their daily expenses, withstand unexpected financial difficulties, save consistently and invest in their future.

Ghana’s financial inclusion progress faces a new test

Ghana has made considerable progress in expanding access to formal financial services, particularly through mobile money, digital payments and the growth of financial technology companies.

According to the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 data, more than 80 per cent of adults in Ghana have access to financial accounts.

This places Ghana among the countries making significant progress in financial inclusion across sub-Saharan Africa.

However, access to a bank account or mobile money wallet does not necessarily mean that an individual is financially secure.

Findings from the 2021 FinScope Survey reveal a significant gap between access and financial wellbeing.

Only 22 per cent of adults in Ghana were classified as financially healthy, while 44 per cent were managing to cope and 34 per cent were considered financially vulnerable.

The figures highlight the challenges facing households that may have access to financial products but continue to struggle with irregular incomes, debt, unexpected expenses and limited savings.

Queen Máxima’s visit is therefore expected to examine how Ghana can move beyond expanding access to financial services and focus more directly on improving people’s ability to use those services to build financial resilience.

What Queen Máxima will discuss with the Bank of Ghana

The November 4 roundtable at the Bank of Ghana will focus on making financial health a commercial and leadership priority for the financial sector.

Participants are expected to identify practical actions that banks, fintech companies, mobile network operators and other providers can take to improve the financial wellbeing of their customers.

Key areas include responsible lending, accessible savings products, insurance, digital financial services and tools that enable households to manage their money more effectively.

The discussions will also examine how financial institutions can design products that respond to the needs of low-income households, informal-sector workers, women entrepreneurs and small businesses.

The engagement forms part of a broader effort to ensure that financial innovation produces measurable improvements in people’s everyday lives.

Queen Máxima engages farmers, traders and health sector workers

Before her meeting with financial sector leaders, Queen Máxima’s programme includes engagements with ordinary Ghanaians to understand the financial challenges they face.

On Tuesday, November 3, she is scheduled to visit farmers and workers at a fruit-processing facility in the Upper West Akim District.

The discussions will examine how agricultural workers can manage financial risks associated with poor harvests, unstable incomes and unexpected economic shocks.

She is also expected to learn about the role of affordable credit, crop insurance, savings schemes and workplace financial support in strengthening the livelihoods of agricultural workers.

In Accra, Queen Máxima is scheduled to visit a hospital to learn about digital health innovations that can help patients manage medical expenses.

The engagement will include discussions about technology-supported monitoring of conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, and how digital solutions can improve healthcare delivery while reducing unnecessary costs.

At Makola Market, she is expected to meet women traders who use digital financial services to manage their businesses.

The discussions will highlight how savings, responsible credit and insurance can help small-scale entrepreneurs maintain their businesses, manage financial difficulties and pursue expansion opportunities.

She will also engage microentrepreneurs through a meeting organized by Opportunity International.

Long-term savings and pensions on the agenda

Another major focus of the visit will be the need to strengthen long-term financial security, particularly among workers in Ghana’s informal economy.

On November 4, Queen Máxima is expected to participate in discussions with the World Bank Group on long-term financing, pension coverage and capital market participation.

The discussions will explore how more Ghanaians can gain access to pension arrangements and investment opportunities that support financial security beyond their working years.

This is particularly important for informal-sector workers, many of whom operate without structured retirement arrangements or consistent access to long-term savings products.

The visit also includes a meeting with investors to discuss how financial health can be incorporated into investment strategies and the development of financial services.

Visit to Kumasi and meeting with the Asantehene

Queen Máxima’s programme will also take her to Kumasi, where she is expected to pay a courtesy visit to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and his wife, Lady Julia Osei Tutu.

During the visit, she will engage traditional leaders, including paramount chiefs, in discussions about initiatives aimed at improving the financial wellbeing of communities.

The engagement is expected to highlight the role of traditional institutions and community-level initiatives in supporting economic resilience and access to financial services.

Ghana prepares to announce a new financial sector development strategy

The visit is expected to conclude on Thursday, November 5, with a national event organised by the Government of Ghana, during which a new financial sector development strategy will be announced.

The strategy is expected to place financial health at its centre, with the objective of ensuring that financial inclusion translates into improved household wellbeing.

Queen Máxima will participate in a fireside chat at the event.

Her programme also includes engagements with President John Dramani Mahama, Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku.

These discussions are expected to examine Ghana’s financial health priorities and the role of government policy, financial institutions and development partners in achieving them.

Who is Queen Máxima and why is she visiting Ghana?

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands serves as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health.

In this role, she advocates for financial systems, products and policies that enable people to manage their everyday finances, withstand unexpected financial shocks, invest in their futures and build greater financial confidence.

Her work focuses on ensuring that financial inclusion goes beyond simply providing people with access to accounts, loans and digital payment platforms.

Her visit to Ghana builds on previous engagements with Ghanaian leaders, including discussions during the 81st United Nations General Assembly and the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings.

Ghana’s experience with mobile money, digital payments and financial technology has made it an important country for discussions on the future of inclusive finance in Africa.

However, the latest financial health figures demonstrate that expanding access remains only one part of the challenge.

As the Bank of Ghana prepares to host Queen Máxima and other financial sector leaders, attention will be on how the country can convert its digital finance achievements into more secure financial futures for millions of Ghanaians.

The outcome of the engagements and the proposed national financial sector strategy could help shape the next phase of Ghana’s financial inclusion agenda.