Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has called for stronger financial health among Ghana’s households, warning that access to accounts must be matched by savings, insurance, pensions and protection against financial shocks.
The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA) made the remarks at a World Bank Group roundtable in Accra focused on informal-sector pensions, savings and access to capital markets.
The meeting, organised by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), brought together senior government officials, regulators and financial-sector representatives under the theme “From Savings to Prosperity: Informal-Sector Pensions, Financial Health, and Capital Markets”.
Ghana has made progress on financial inclusion, with 81 percent of adults holding a financial account in 2024, compared with 58 percent across Sub-Saharan Africa, according to Global Findex 2025. Mobile-money access stood at 78 percent.
But only 30 percent of adults could cover more than two months of expenses after losing their main source of income, while 18 percent were saving formally for old age.
“Financial access is a critical enabler, but we must also look at savings, insurance, pensions, and broader financial resilience,” Queen Maxima said.
She said emergency savings were essential to maintaining long-term pension contributions, as households facing immediate financial pressures could struggle to plan for retirement.
“It is difficult to focus on retirement 30 years from now if you are worried about a financial emergency tomorrow,” she added.
Queen Maxima also described financial health as a business imperative, rather than solely a corporate social responsibility issue.
Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC Division Director for West Africa Gulf of Guinea, said the discussions could build on Ghana’s progress while addressing weaknesses in household financial security.
“Financial inclusion, while essential, is not the finish line. The real measure of success is whether people are able to build resilience, withstand shocks and improve their financial wellbeing over time,” she said.
She said the visit came as the World Bank Group progressed its Country Partnership Framework for Ghana, creating an opportunity to align development work with the country’s changing financial-sector priorities.
Participants examined flexible micro-pensions for informal workers, whose earnings are often irregular or seasonal. Possible contribution methods included daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal and lump-sum payments, supported by mobile-money platforms, agent networks and trade associations.
They also discussed linking long-term savings to insurance, emergency liquidity and responsible credit, while widening access to safe, regulated and professionally managed capital-market investments for informal-sector and first-time investors.
Ghana’s three-tier pension system holds approximately US$11.5 billion in assets, although participation by informal-sector workers remains modest. Increasing coverage could expand the domestic institutional investor base and provide more long-term funding for businesses and infrastructure.
Through the Joint IFC-World Bank Capital Market Program (J-CAP), the World Bank Group is working with the Government to strengthen capital-market foundations, diversify institutional investors and develop suitable investment assets. The programme supports demonstration transactions in infrastructure, green finance and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) financing.
The World Bank Group is also supporting Ghana’s new financial inclusion strategy. Priorities identified at the roundtable included affordable products for irregular incomes, simpler digital saving and investment platforms, stronger consumer protection and greater transparency and trust.
