Ghana’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bank of Ghana (BoG) are positioning virtual assets as key infrastructure to bolster traditional finance and establish the country as West Africa’s primary financial center.
Speaking at the official launch of the Africa Virtual Assets Summit (AVAS 2026), SEC Deputy Director-General in charge of Operations, Mensah Thompson, emphasized the necessity of proactive regulation to support rapid market growth.
Mr. Thompson noted that regulators are drawing lessons from past expansions in Ghana’s capital market, where growth outpaced existing regulatory frameworks. He highlighted previous systemic gaps, including insufficient public education, limited continuous market investment, and weak regulatory infrastructure.
Addressing broader continental challenges, he stated that African regulators continue to navigate hurdles surrounding cross-border listings, trading, and market participation. Citing a recent trans-African annuity initial public offering (IPO), Mr. Thompson revealed that interested Ghanaian investors were forced to process transactions through Canada due to local regulatory constraints.
The summit also spotlighted broader market initiatives across the continent, including the Africa Carbon Market Initiative (ACMI). ACMI aims to produce 300 million carbon credits annually by 2030, which could generate up to $6 billion in direct annual revenue and reach $120 billion when integrated with related financial assets.
To maintain market integrity, the United Nations is set to support the initiative by providing standardized credit registry records.
This framework intends to guarantee transparency, maintain global standards, and ensure revenues reach local communities.
Beyond carbon credits, the initiative plans to expand into cross-border trade, infrastructure development, green bonds, pension funds, equity investments, and physical assets such as gold and transport networks.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
