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Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama has called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to strengthen its support for Africa’s digital transformation, with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) governance, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure.
Speaking during the second round of Governors’ interventions at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 14, 2026, Dr Asiama stressed that digital sovereignty and the responsible use of AI are increasingly important to Africa’s structural transformation, economic resilience and long-term development.
“AI is already reshaping productivity, competitiveness, governance, and finance,” he said.
Africa’s digital progress faces regulatory and infrastructure gaps
Dr Asiama noted that African countries had made significant progress in digital payments, digital identification systems, AI-enabled financial services and financial technology (fintech). However, he warned that persistent gaps in regulatory capacity, cybersecurity, infrastructure and financing continued to limit the safe and inclusive adoption of emerging technologies.
“Without urgent and coordinated action, the continent risks falling even further behind,” the BoG Governor said, underscoring the need for a stronger partnership between African countries and the IMF.
He called on the Fund to expand tailored capacity-development support to help countries strengthen AI governance, supervisory technology (SupTech), cybersecurity and digital-risk management.
According to Dr Asiama, such support would help African countries move beyond adopting AI to developing the capacity to adapt, govern and innovate with the technology in ways that build resilience and promote inclusive economic growth.
IMF urged to integrate AI into economic surveillance
The BoG Governor also called for deeper IMF analysis of the relationship between AI, digital transformation and macro-financial stability.
He proposed that AI-related issues be incorporated into the Fund’s economic surveillance and Financial Sector Assessment Programs (FSAPs), where relevant. He also urged greater attention to the technology’s potential implications for productivity, employment, financial resilience and inclusive growth.
The call reflects the growing relevance of AI to economic policymaking and financial-sector oversight, particularly as its applications expand across governance, financial services and business operations.
Call for stronger cross-border AI policy coordination
Dr Asiama further urged the IMF to promote greater policy coherence in data governance, digital trade and cross-border AI regulation.
He also called for the Fund to support efforts to mobilise affordable financing for secure digital public infrastructure and help narrow the digital divide across the continent.
The proposals place emphasis on building African institutional capacity, improving coordination across digital policy areas and ensuring that the benefits of technological progress are accessible to a wider share of the population.
Digital sovereignty central to Africa’s structural transformation
Dr Asiama’s intervention was delivered under the theme, “Africa’s Digital Sovereignty and AI for Structural Transformation: Advancing Capabilities and Deepening the Fund’s Support.”
His remarks highlighted the importance of international cooperation in helping African countries strengthen their digital capabilities while retaining the capacity to shape how emerging technologies are governed and deployed.
As AI becomes more influential in finance, productivity and public administration, the Governor’s call places digital sovereignty, regulatory readiness and access to secure infrastructure at the centre of discussions about Africa’s long-term economic transformation.
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