Ghanaian Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on Wednesday opened the 2026 3i Africa FSummit on digital economy, urging African countries to pursue aggressive digital integration as a concrete step toward the continent’s valued economic sovereignty.
Opoku-Agyemang said during the opening of the 2026 3i Africa Summit on investments in financial technologies (Fintechs), digital technology, and innovations that Africa must build strong synergies through digital integration.
“Kwame Nkrumah reminded us that we must link Ghana’s independence to the total liberation of Africa. It is true, valued economic sovereignty now also depends on integration, particularly digital integration, because this is where value is created, exchanged, and controlled,” she highlighted.
According to her, Africa has already demonstrated its capacity to leapfrog legacy systems. “Mobile money, digital identity, and financial technology have showcased what is possible.”
The task now, Opoku-Agyemang noted, is more about moving from pockets of progress to a continental scale, adding that the integration of Africa’s digital economies requires payment, identity, regulation, and infrastructure.
According to the vice president, the continued routing of intra-African transactions through financial systems outside the continent, denominated in third currencies, adds costs and delays and undermines the very idea of a single African market through platforms like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement system.
“If our data is stored and processed elsewhere, then even when we participate, we lack control. This calls for investments in broadband cloud infrastructure. Cloud infrastructure and digital systems must also come with regulatory and policy alignments,” the vice president proposed, emphasizing that these alignments are crucial to ensure data sovereignty and protect user rights in the digital landscape.
She urged that “emerging markets must shape the next phase of global digital growth.” Africa is well positioned to play a defining role, particularly in cross-border trade and in applying technology to agriculture, health, education, and public services.”
“To that end, allow me to announce a concrete step: Ghana will work with Zambia, Rwanda, and other countries to pilot a continental digital trade corridor. This pilot, which will be implemented, tested, and measured, will focus on mobile money, interoperability, mutual recognition of digital identity for cross-border KYC, and electronic invoicing,” the Ghanaian vice president announced.