Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, has urged Ghanaians, policymakers, and global financial leaders to treat the protection of the Cedi as a shared national responsibility, as Ghana marks 60 years of its national currency.
Speaking at the opening of the Cedi@60 Anniversary Currency Conference at the Accra International Conference Centre, Dr. Asiama said the currency remains a powerful symbol of Ghana’s identity, resilience, and future aspirations, and must be preserved through coordinated leadership, strong institutions, and forward-looking reforms.
“Protecting the Cedi is not a task of any one institution. It is a shared endeavour, an endeavour rooted in our belief in Ghana’s future,” he declared.
The two-day international conference, hosted by the Bank of Ghana in partnership with Currency Research has brought together over 800 delegates from more than 40 countries, including central bankers, payment system experts, currency designers, academics, security technologists and global industry leaders.
Dr. Asiama said the Cedi@60 celebrations, launched a few weeks earlier, are a reminder that Ghana’s currency is not only an economic tool but also a carrier of collective national memory. “Our currency carries history, our currency has meaning, and our currency has a sense of collective identity,” he emphasized.
Reflecting on the six-decade journey of the Cedi, he recounted how the currency has mirrored Ghana’s progress and challenges, from bold reforms and economic milestones to moments of institutional and socioeconomic strain.
Yet, through all these phases, he noted, the currency has remained central to daily life across Ghana: “For 60 years, the Cedi has moved with our people. It has gone into markets, small shops, farms, trotro stations, and the quiet routines of daily life. It has helped families plan, businesses grow, and communities support one another.”
Dr. Asiama highlighted the rapidly changing global financial landscape, driven by digital payments, artificial intelligence, tokenization, cyber-security risks, and geopolitical uncertainties and said Ghana must adapt to ensure the Cedi remains relevant.
“Young Ghanaians are growing up in a world where value moves instantly. Their relationship with the Cedi will be shaped by the trust they place in the institutions that serve them,” he noted.
He said the Bank of Ghana is strengthening efforts to modernize payment systems, advance digital currency research, and combat dollarisation, which threatens Ghana’s monetary sovereignty.
“We are re-anchoring the Cedi as the unquestioned medium of exchange, addressing pressures toward currency substitution and dollarization,” he added.
Dr. Asiama acknowledged the presence of the President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, praising his commitment to stability under the Resetting Ghana Agenda. “Your engagement underscores our shared responsibility to protect the value, the integrity, and the future of the Cedi,” he told the President.
He said the President’s stability-focused agenda aligns deeply with the Bank of Ghana’s mandate to safeguard a currency that supports opportunity, confidence, and long-term prosperity.
The Governor stressed that modern currency management requires extensive collaboration across borders and disciplines, citing the need for security providers, payment innovators, regulators, and technologists to work closely together.
“The landscape of money is shifting,” he noted, adding that: “Digital payments, CBDCs, tokenized instruments, and AI are redefining authentication, security, and lifecycle management.”
The Cedi@60 conference, he said, deepens global partnerships and broadens the opportunities for innovation and shared learning. Dr. Asiama encouraged participants and Ghanaians to actively contribute to shaping the future of the currency.
“The Cedi belongs to all of us. I encourage you to engage fully, share generously, and help shape the vision of what the next 60 years of the Cedi must look like,” he said.
He expressed hope that every Ghanaian, from schoolchildren to traders to entrepreneurs, will continue to hold the Cedi with confidence and pride.
