The CEO of Ghana Interbank Payments and Settlements Systems (GhIPSS), Clara Arthur, has confirmed plans to complete the mobile money interoperability (MMI) ecosystem by ensuring full interoperability at the mobile money agent level, a move she says is critical to deepening financial inclusion across the country.
Speaking during a panel session at the launch of the State of Inclusive Instant Payment Systems (SIIPS) Africa 2025 Report in Eswatini, Arthur highlighted the progress Ghana has made in digital finance. According to the report, which was compiled by AfricaNenda Foundation in partnership with the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Africa processed 64 billion instant payment transactions worth US$2 trillion in 2024. Ghana’s MMI and GhIPSS Instant Pay (GIP) were listed among the ten systems that have achieved a “progressed” level of inclusivity, supporting all-to-all payments across users.
Currently, Ghana’s MMI allows cross-network transfers for wallets, as well as wallet-to-bank and bank-to-wallet transfers for individual users. However, at the mobile money agent level, transfers are restricted if the agent’s wallet is on a different network from the recipient’s. Arthur said this limitation prevents agents from serving some customers, a gap the new initiative aims to close.
“In the current setup, when you go to a mobile money agent to do a transaction and the agent does not have a merchant wallet on the same network as yours, the agent cannot serve you,” she explained. “That period will soon be over once we plug in the last piece of the puzzle in the interoperability ecosystem.”
Arthur emphasized that agents are pivotal to financial inclusion, noting that enabling them to transfer e-cash across all wallets and accounts, regardless of the network, is a major step toward achieving full financial inclusion in Ghana. She drew parallels with the banking system, where cross-bank cash withdrawals at ATMs are seamless because the settlement rails already exist.
In addition to agent-level interoperability, GhIPSS will migrate its real-time payment rails from the ISO 8583 model to the ISO 20022 standard. Arthur said this migration is intended to expand use cases, improve messaging, and support an open API framework within the digital finance ecosystem. “This is another critical piece of the puzzle that will help move Ghana’s payment system from a progressed stage to a mature level of inclusivity, allowing more innovative applications, improved affordability, and better dispute resolution,” she added.
The move comes at a time when digital payments in Africa are experiencing unprecedented growth. According to SIIPS 2025, half of Africa’s instant payment systems now connect banks, mobile money operators, and fintechs, but cross-network interoperability at the agent level remains limited. Nigeria’s Instant Payments (NIP) system is the only African system that has achieved full inclusivity, while Ghana’s MMI and GIP have maintained a progressed level for the past four years.
Arthur’s announcement signals a concerted effort to strengthen Ghana’s digital finance ecosystem by addressing gaps that hinder broader adoption of mobile financial services. By equipping mobile money agents with interoperable wallets and upgrading technical standards, GhIPSS aims to ensure that digital payments reach all segments of the population, including those in rural areas and underserved communities.
The CEO’s comments reflect a broader push by Ghanaian regulators and financial institutions to advance financial inclusion and build a more resilient digital payments infrastructure. As mobile money continues to dominate financial transactions in the country, agent-level interoperability is expected to drive increased adoption, reduce transaction bottlenecks, and provide greater convenience for users across all networks.
With these measures, Ghana is poised to move closer to a fully integrated and inclusive digital financial ecosystem, positioning its payment systems as a model for other African nations seeking to enhance mobile money interoperability and financial inclusion.
GhIPSS CEO says Ghana’s payment system will hit full inclusivity next year
