Ghana’s digital finance agenda must move beyond access and focus more deliberately on improving customers’ financial health and long-term well-being.

The Chief Executive Officer, MobileMoney Fintech Ltd. (MMFL), Shaibu Haruna, who made the call at a panel discussion on “Mobile Money, Agency Banking and Digital Payments” during the inaugural Ecobank–Joy Business Financial Dialogue Series in Accra, added that the next phase of digital finance should deliver practical solutions that would help people save, borrow, invest and plan more securely.

Mr Haruna noted that MobileMoney had gone beyond simply bringing people into the financial ecosystem and that the focus had shifted from financial inclusion to financial health and financial well-being.

He explained that MMFL’s recent partnerships with IC Wealth, Misika, Coronation and Flexi Pension reflected the shift by giving customers access to a broader range of financial tools, including investment, credit and pension solutions, adding that MMFL was building solutions that would address customers’ real needs.

He stressed the need for the industry to deepen adoption by engaging customers continuously, understanding their pain points and building trust in digital financial services.

Contributing to the discussion, Akosua Blay, Chief Business Officer, Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GHIPSS), noted that interoperability had been critical to the sector’s growth, enabling banks, fintechs, payment service providers and mobile money operators to connect more seamlessly through shared infrastructure.

On her part, Jacqueline Dufie Mpare, Managing Director, Pan African Savings and Loans Ltd., said digital tools were also helping financial institutions reach more customers, improve profiling and make better lending decisions, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Other panellists reinforced the need for stronger collaboration across Ghana’s digital payments ecosystem.

The inaugural Financial Dialogue Series, held under the theme “Driving Financial Inclusion Through Digital Transformation”, brought together regulators, financial institutions, fintech companies and industry leaders to explore how technology can expand access and strengthen economic participation.

The Dialogue featured discussions on banking, fintech, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and digital payments.