The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is stepping up efforts to make investment opportunities more affordable and accessible to ordinary Ghanaians, with plans to promote micro-investment schemes, crowdfunding and digital investment platforms.
The initiative is expected to bring more first-time and small-scale investors into the capital market while improving access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Dr James Klutse Avedzi, Director-General of the SEC, announced this at the inauguration of a Technical Committee for Ghana’s second National Financial Inclusion and Development Strategy (NFIDS) in Accra.
He said although about 80% of Ghanaians had access to financial services, including digital wallets, only 22% of the population was financially healthy, highlighting the gap between having access to financial products and being able to use them to improve livelihoods.
Women, rural communities, informal sector workers and smallholder farmers remained among groups facing significant barriers to formal financial services.
Dr Avedzi said the Commission would work to make the capital market a more accessible source of investment and business financing, particularly for smaller enterprises and underserved groups.
“We’ll do that by collaborating across the financial sector, working hand in hand with the Bank of Ghana, the National Insurance Commission, the National Pensions Regulatory Authority and all stakeholders,” he said.
He said the SEC would also facilitate investment in sustainable finance products to channel capital into activities that supported inclusive economic growth.
Beyond expanding access, the Commission would intensify investor education and financial literacy programmes to equip Ghanaians with the knowledge and confidence to make informed investment decisions.
Dr Avedzi said investor protection would remain a priority, with the SEC strengthening its regulatory and enforcement frameworks to safeguard savings and investments, particularly those of vulnerable investors.
The second NFIDS, covering 2027 to 2031, is expected to build on the gains of the previous strategy while placing financial health at the centre of national financial inclusion efforts.
At the inauguration, the Diplomatic Corps pledged support for the development and implementation of the strategy, which seeks to expand access to savings, credit, insurance and secure payment services while promoting entrepreneurship, job creation and economic growth.
Ms Janine Walz, Deputy Swiss Ambassador to Ghana and Head of Cooperation, reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s efforts to develop a well-functioning and inclusive financial sector as a foundation for sustainable development.
The first NFIDS, implemented from 2018 to 2023, recorded progress in expanding access to credit, savings, payments and insurance, particularly among underserved populations.
Reforms such as mobile money interoperability and the introduction of the Ghana Card also supported efforts to broaden financial access.
The new strategy is expected to shift attention beyond access to ensuring that financial services translate into improved livelihoods, greater economic security and wealth creation.
