Dr. Ellen Ohene-Afoakwa
The President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana (CIB Ghana), Dr. Ellen Ohene-Afoakwa, has called on bankers to build a banking industry that is trusted, ethically grounded, technologically progressive and responsive to the needs of people and businesses.
She made the call when she delivered the welcome address at the opening of the Ghana Banking Conference 2026, the 30th National Banking and Ethics Conference, at the Aqua Safari Resort in Ada.
The two-day conference, held from November 9 to 10, 2026, is on the theme “Banking on the Future: Trust, Technology, and Transformation.”
Dr. Ohene-Afoakwa said the conference provides a platform for thought leadership, industry dialogue and professional development, and comes at a pivotal time for banking and financial services.
She said the 30th edition represents three decades of dialogue, professional development, reflection and commitment to strengthening banking practice in the country.
She acknowledged with gratitude past and present leaders, members, partners and stakeholders whose contributions have sustained the platform.
She said CIB Ghana’s responsibility and mandate under Act 991 is to develop competent bankers, promote ethical leadership, strengthen professional standards and foster a culture of continuous learning.
As part of that mandate, she said the Institute must help shape the standards, attitudes and behaviours that define the banking profession, with focus on strengthening professional standards, deepening continuing professional development, good governance, innovation in digital finance and emerging risk areas, expanding pathways for Ghanaians entering the profession, and reinforcing the ethical foundation on which public trust depends.
Dr. Ohene-Afoakwa described the conference as not simply a gathering for dialogue, but a platform for knowledge, connection, leadership and action, bringing the industry together to shape a more trusted, ethical and future-ready financial services sector.
She encouraged delegates to move beyond discussing challenges and towards defining practical and sustained solutions.
“Let us speak honestly about ethical dilemmas, customer protection, fraud prevention, cybersecurity, responsible innovation and the development of future-ready banking professionals,” she said.” Above all, let us ensure the ideas generated here translate into measurable actions when we return to our respective institutions,” she said.
Chief Executive Officer of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana (CIB Ghana), Robert Dzato, said bankers have a significant role to play in the government’s ‘new economy.’
“The economy revolves around finance, right, and that means that banking is right at the center of front and center of that, really,” he said.
He said the banking sector is crucial as the engine that facilitates payments, settlements, trade, credit creation and credit intermediation to the real sector.
“When the banking sector does well, the real sector does well. The wider economy does well,” he said.
On expectations for the budget, Mr. Dzato said the budget gives strategic direction in terms of economic policy and shows where government will put its resources.
He said the Institute pays close attention to both macroeconomic indicators and micro, business-level issues from a sector perspective.
He called for the consolidation of stability, and for that stability to be translated into real growth that comes with job creation.
“We need to translate that into the real growth that we expect, and growth that comes with job creation as well,” he said. “As an Institute, Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana, certainly we are interested and we are supportive of that direction of policy.”
A Business Desk Report