Ghana’s government has announced plans to recapitalize the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) and Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) with GH¢1 billion before the end of 2025, following a GH¢1.4 billion injection into the National Investment Bank (NIB) earlier this year.
The move forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen state-owned banks and support the country’s economic transformation agenda.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson disclosed the plan during his 2026 Budget presentation to Parliament, emphasizing the government’s commitment to backing the private sector while ensuring state banks remain effective instruments for job creation and financial inclusion.
“The government is putting real capital behind the private sector, which is the engine of jobs and growth,” Dr. Forson said. “In this regard, we have recapitalized the National Investment Bank and will recapitalize the ADB and CBG with GH¢1 billion before end-2025.”
The NIB recapitalization earlier this year aimed to stabilize the bank, enhance lending capacity, and support strategic sectors, including agriculture, SMEs, and infrastructure financing.
With this precedent, expectations are high that similar injections into ADB and CBG will boost lending to critical economic sectors, underpinning initiatives outlined in the 2026 budget, including job creation programs, the 24-hour economy, and agricultural value chain financing.
The ADB, which focuses on agricultural development and rural finance, has recently shown growth in profitability and lending, signaling improved internal management and alignment with broader economic recovery.
CBG, formed in 2018 to absorb assets and liabilities from failed banks, has become one of Ghana’s largest state-owned banks by branch network, though operational and governance challenges remain.
The planned recapitalization aims to address these challenges while equipping both banks to play a central role in delivering the government’s 2026 policy priorities.
The recapitalization also reflects a broader government strategy to reinforce financial sector stability while positioning state-owned banks as instruments for delivering the 2026 budget’s job creation and economic transformation objectives.
