Telecel Cash MD calls for interoperable data pool to expand credit access

The Managing Director of Telecel Cash and Digital Transformation, Philip Amoateng, has said fragmented financial data systems remain one of the biggest barriers to expanding responsible digital credit access across Ghana.

Speaking at the 3i Africa Summit 2026 roundtable on ‘Designing a Consumer Centric Digital Credit and Banking Ecosystem', Amoateng called for the creation and regulation of interoperability frameworks that enable banks, telecom operators and fintech firms to share data to improve credit decision-making.

“The biggest challenge with the credit system is that data is fragmented in the financial sector. Banks have theirs, and telcos have theirs. We need regulation on data interoperability to help us get a clearer picture and support the credit needs of customers.”

Ghana has emerged as one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital payment markets, with mobile money transactions reaching GH¢4.5 trillion in 2025. Yet many consumers who transact regularly across multiple financial platforms still lack formal credit visibility.

Mr. Amoateng said broader access to both traditional and alternative data could help lenders assess customers more accurately, particularly informal workers and first-time borrowers who are often excluded from conventional banking systems. Beyond the financial institutions, he said, individuals needed to take ownership of their financial health by knowing their credit rating.

“If we have a data pool of traditional and alternative data to include financial and non-financial information, there will be a credit transparency system so people can access their credit information, know their credit standing and make informed decisions.”

At Telecel Ghana, telecom and mobile money activity history already forms part of alternative credit assessments used to support lending to mobile money agents, individuals and small businesses.

Industry leaders at the summit said interoperable data systems could improve risk management, reduce duplication across lenders and expand access to underserved populations without significantly increasing default risks.

The roundtable brought together representatives from the Bank of Ghana, the Ministry of Finance, Women’s World Banking, Fido, Affinity Ghana, Universal Pensions and the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications. The discussion was moderated by Peter McConaghy, who is into policy advisory work on inclusive finance and financial health at the UN.

The 3i Africa Summit is a flagship 3-day conference organised by the Bank of Ghana, Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems and the Monetary Authority of Singapore through the Global Finance & Technology Network. This year’s summit is under the theme “The Next Frontier: Shaping Africa’s Integrated FinTech Future.”

The summit seeks to deepen collaboration between governments, regulators, fintech companies, investors and telecom operators to shape the next phase of Africa’s integrated digital finance ecosystem, with a focus on innovation, investment and impact.