“We Cannot Build Strong Economies on Weak Markets” — Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang | Channel One News

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Jane Oppoku Aiman.

[00:00:10]Thank you very much. Please take your seats.

[00:00:18]Honorable Ministers of State and other government officials, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the president and leadership of the ACI Financial Markets Association and leadership of the ACA, the ACA Ghana and other national associations, central bank governors and regulators, distinguished delegates, Nime Name Amen. Are they here? Okay, just consider yourself n and ask the person sitting by you if it's a Ghanaian what it means.

[00:00:59]Ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

[00:01:05]Excuse us for coming in late and thanks for the excuse you've given already. And I also want to thank the lady for expressing interest in inclusion and with emphasis on women that is very very important.

[00:01:22]It is a pleasure to welcome all of you to Accra on behalf of his excellency the president of the republic John Rammani Mahama.

[00:01:32]For decades, ACI has helped promote professionalism, market conduct, education, and ethical standards in wholesale financial markets.

[00:01:47]It is therefore worth noting that Ghana is the first subsaharan African country after South Africa 17 years ago to host this world congress.

[00:02:08]This reflects the glowing importance of African financial markets and their expanding role in global market development.

[00:02:19]The theme for this congress reminds us that markets exist to serve people, mobilize capital, support enterprise, price risk, allocate resources and create opportunity to elevate markets. Therefore, we must empower the people who build, regulate, participating in depend on them. Ladies and gentlemen, the world is still adjusting to the aftershocks of inflation, higher interest rates, sovereign debt pressures, geopolitical tensions, climate risk, supply chain shifts, rapid technological dis disruption. The list is endless for emerging and frontier markets. These changes affect exchange rates, fiscal planning, trade finance, portfolio flows, debt sustainability and the cost of capital.

[00:03:39]They shape businesses investment capacities, government planning and the ability of households to live with dignity.

[00:03:50]We cannot build strong economies on weak markets.

[00:03:55]Resilient markets cannot be built without trust and trust cannot exist without competence, ethics and robust institutions.

[00:04:11]Ladies and gentlemen, we often speak of capital markets in terms of instruments, yields, liquidity and infrastructure.

[00:04:22]Of course, these are important.

[00:04:25]But behind every trade, every trade policy decision and market innovation are people making judgments.

[00:04:36]That is why we need professionals who understand their products and their purpose, manage risk with integrity, interpret data with discernment and uphold conduct as the basis of the market credibility.

[00:04:53]We also need regulations and regulators, institutions and professional bodies to prepare people for the complexity and pace of modern markets.

[00:05:06]Our continent has a young population.

[00:05:12]We have expanding cities, growing digital adoption, and high entrepreneurial energy.

[00:05:21]If we invest in young people's skills, they will participate in these markets and even go beyond to contribute to designing them.

[00:05:34]But we must be deliberate and build trust through fair and consistent standards and institutions that remain relevant under pressure.

[00:05:46]This market this matters even more now that financial systems are becoming faster, more digital and increasingly automated.

[00:05:57]Discussions of market today must take artificial intelligence into account.

[00:06:04]AI is reshaping how information is processed, risk is modeled, fraud is detected and decisions are made.

[00:06:16]These creates new possibilities.

[00:06:19]It can improve speed, reduce cost, expand access, and help institutions identify previously unnoticed patterns.

[00:06:32]But innovation also raises difficult questions about accountability and how human responsibility is preserved in increasingly automated systems.

[00:06:46]For countries like Ghana, the challenge is to build digital capacity while also building digital trust.

[00:06:56]We must invest in data governance, cyber resilience, local skills, regulatory capacity and ethical frameworks.

[00:07:09]We must also ensure that smaller institutions and emerging markets are not left behind.

[00:07:18]Ghana holds this Congress at a time when our own financial markets are evolving.

[00:07:24]We recognize the need to deepen domestic capital markets, strengthen the foreign exchange markets, improve market transparency, support long-term investment, and build markets that meet the needs of both users and investors across the continent as well. We are working to improve payment systems, strengthen regulatory cooperation, expand local currency financing, develop yield curves, deepen pension and insurance assets, and connect our markets more effectively.

[00:08:06]The African continental free trade area reminds us that the future of African prosperity will not be built on fragmented markets.

[00:08:19]This is why the work of the ACI and its national associations is important to help create a professional community across borders, turn market conduct into shared practice and ensure that finance is ethical.

[00:08:39]And so as we deliberate over the coming days, I want to invite you respectfully to keep these three points in mind.

[00:08:51]First, elevating markets by strengthening trust.

[00:08:57]Innovation and competitiveness will rest on transparency and respect for the rules.

[00:09:05]Second, empower people by investing in skills.

[00:09:12]The next generation of market professionals must be technically capable, ethically grounded, and globally connected.

[00:09:22]Third, using technology responsibly.

[00:09:27]AI and digital finance must be tools for better decision making.

[00:09:34]Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, Ghana is honored to host you.

[00:09:41]May this congress form new partnerships and strengthen existing ones while generating actionable ideas. I welcome you again to Accra. Enjoy our food and I wish all of you a productive congress. I want to thank you for your kind attention.