Ghana will partner Rwanda, Zambia and other African countries to pilot a continental digital trade corridor aimed at transforming cross-border transactions and accelerating economic integration, Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has announced.
Delivering the Presidential Address under the theme, “Shaping Africa’s Integrated Digital Economy” at the 2026 3i Africa Summit in Accra on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, she said the initiative would focus on mobile money interoperability, mutual recognition of digital identity for cross-border verification, and harmonised electronic invoicing systems.
The move, she explained, is part of a broader effort to reposition Africa from fragmented digital progress to a fully integrated continental economy.
“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 stated.
The Vice President emphasised that Africa’s economic future would depend on how effectively countries organise themselves to integrate, compete and build at scale, rather than how the continent is perceived globally.
She noted that Ghana’s role as a gateway to Africa must go beyond rhetoric and be measured by the efficiency of its systems, particularly in enabling seamless transactions and business connectivity.
According to her, digital integration has become central to economic sovereignty, with increasing reliance on platforms that enable individuals and businesses to transact, verify identity and operate across borders.
She identified four critical pillars for achieving this integration—payments, identity, regulation and infrastructure.
On payments, she observed that many intra-African transactions are still routed through external systems and denominated in foreign currencies, leading to delays and higher costs. She cited ongoing efforts such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System as steps toward reducing such inefficiencies.
On identity, she stressed that millions of Africans remain excluded from formal systems due to lack of reliable digital identification, limiting their participation in cross-border trade.
“Trust begins with identity,” she said, calling for interoperable identity systems across the continent.
Addressing regulation, she noted that fragmented frameworks across countries continue to hinder innovation and increase the cost of doing business, underscoring the need for coordinated policies and shared standards.
She also highlighted infrastructure gaps, pointing out that many Africans remain offline due to high costs and limited access, while the continent still accounts for a small share of global data centre capacity.
“Investment in broadband, cloud infrastructure and digital systems must accompany policy alignment,” she said.
The Vice President expressed optimism about Africa’s prospects, citing its young population and rapid technology adoption as key advantages in shaping the next phase of global digital growth.
She urged governments to move beyond discussions and take practical steps to implement integration across the continent. The summit, hosted by the Bank of Ghana, has brought together policymakers, regulators and industry leaders to chart the future of digital finance in Africa.
