Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor, Dr Johnson Asiama, says banking sector supervision will become more forward-looking and risk-based from 2026.

This is part of efforts to strengthen financial stability and responsible credit expansion.

He explained that the new approach will allow for more precise differentiation across banks, stronger governance, improved risk management, and rebuilt capital buffers, creating room for institutions to expand credit responsibly.

Dr Asiama was speaking at the Governor’s Day Programme organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

He noted that supervision will increasingly sharpen its focus on the quality of intermediation, underwriting discipline, sectoral concentration, cash-flow analysis, and risk pricing.

“Credit growth will matter, but credit quality will matter more,” he stressed.

Governance

The Governor said expectations for boards and senior management will continue to rise, as governance is treated as a core pillar of financial stability.

“Governance will be treated as a core element of financial stability, with deeper engagement around risk appetite, internal controls, and accountability for outcomes,” he stated.

At the system level, Dr Asiama said reforms will move decisively from policy intent into routine practice, warning that tolerance for repeated weaknesses will be lower, even as regulatory engagement remains constructive.

Relationship with Banks

Dr Asiama said the central bank is also investing in how it works with regulated institutions, even as supervision tightens.

He explained that the Bank of Ghana will improve clarity of regulatory guidance, streamline internal processes, and provide more predictable timelines for approvals and regulatory engagement.

Markets and Digital Systems

On financial markets, the Governor said the focus will shift from recovery to depth and diversification, with greater mobilisation of long-term capital for a broader range of issuers and instruments, and stronger links between savings and productive investment.

He added that payments, settlement systems, data standards, and digital infrastructure will remain strategic priorities.

“Faster settlement, richer transaction data, interoperable platforms, and stronger fraud controls will increasingly define competitiveness and resilience,” he said.