Amid the effort to build a strong and resilient financial sector, the Bank of Ghana is calling for a new model of banking that places people, the planet, and prosperity at the very heart of financial activities.
This is a banking “revolution” that meets the financial needs of the current generation without compromising the needs of the future generation while ensuring the sustainability of the earth.
This clarion call to a new dawn of banking was made by the Director of Banking Supervision at the Bank of Ghana, Ismail Adam, at the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) 2025 Africa Chapter Meeting, who was speaking on behalf of the Governor of the BoG.
Ismail Adam urged financial institutions to go beyond profit maximization and embrace value-based banking as a path to resilience, inclusion, and sustainable growth.
Unlike traditional banking models, which often place shareholder returns above all else, value-based banking integrates long-term social, environmental, and economic values into the very fabric of banking operations.
“Financial institutions have the potential to drive positive changes, foster economic development, and improve financial inclusion. To realize this potential, financial institutions must commit to deploying capital in ways that generate positive social and environmental impact. Importantly, financial institutions should purposefully embed these values within their business models, rather than treat them as peripheral or secondary considerations,” he noted.
The BoG’s Banking Supervision director outlined key characteristics of this model. He indicated that value-banking focuses on the real economy rather than speculative ventures, prioritizing social and environmental impact.
He further says it builds trust-based relationships with clients, ensuring resilience and sustainability, practicing transparent governance, and embedding these values into leadership and daily operations.
He says, “value-based banking is emerging not only as a model that aligns financial performance with long-term societal impact but also a vital movement towards a more ethical, inclusive, and sustainable financial system that puts people and the planet at the heart of its mission.”
The call, he says, is both urgent and practical. With climate change threatening livelihoods, unemployment rising, and inequality widening, the Bank of Ghana believes the sector can play a critical role in creating a more inclusive economy.
He added, “To realize this potential, financial institutions must commit to deploying capital in ways that generate positive social and environmental impact. Importantly, financial institutions should purposefully embed these values within their business models, rather than treat them as peripheral or secondary considerations.
Analysts say this shift would be a game-changer in Ghana and across Africa, where access to finance remains a stumbling block for many small businesses, farmers, and women entrepreneurs.
By prioritizing impact, banks could not only expand financial inclusion but also channel funds into renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and social enterprises, sectors that directly touch the everyday lives of citizens.
The 2025 conference was organized in Ghana under the theme, “Innovation for Impact: Strengthening Regional Collaboration and Resilience Through Values-Based Leadership.”
