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Ghana's Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has sworn in the new Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana (CIB Ghana), charging its members to take on cybercrime, digital banking fraud and the risks that artificial intelligence poses to the sector. The nine-member Council, led by President and Chairperson Dr Ellen Ohene-Afoakwa, took the oaths of office and secrecy at the Ministry of Education in Accra, according to 3News. The ceremony was conducted under the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana Act, 2019 (Act 991).
Mr Iddrisu passed on congratulations from President John Dramani Mahama and asked the Council to use its legal mandate to push professional excellence, reinforce ethical conduct and deal with new pressures facing banking. Under the Act, the Institute regulates professional banking practice, sets standards, runs examinations and promotes continuing professional development (CPD).
Why it matters
The swearing-in hands a fresh team responsibility for professional standards across Ghana's banking industry at a time when digital channels are expanding and fraud methods are changing quickly. The Minister's remarks, as reported by 3News, tie the Council's work directly to public trust in banks and to the wider stability of the financial system.
Mr Iddrisu told the Council that artificial intelligence was among the new challenges it must address. "We expect that you will respond to the new emerging challenge of artificial intelligence and how that can impact on fraud associated with banking in Ghana," he said. He also drew attention to non-performing loans (NPLs), compliance with regulation and sound corporate governance.
On ethics, the Minister described integrity as central to banking work. He said bankers are expected to give accurate information, steer clear of fraud, protect confidentiality and avoid discriminatory practices. "Ethics is fundamental to your calling, this is why bankers must provide accurate information, avoid fraud, uphold confidentiality and avoid discriminatory practices," he said, according to 3News.
Resilience gains and a literacy question for the Ministry
Mr Iddrisu acknowledged that the sector had become more resilient and asked the Council to consider how those improvements could be maintained. He also noted the role community banks play in drawing more people into the financial system and encouraging saving habits, especially in rural areas.
Separately, the Minister asked CIB Ghana to advise the Ministry on whether financial literacy could be added to the national curriculum, and at what level it would fit best.
Dr Ohene-Afoakwa, replying for the Council, thanked President Mahama and the Minister for the confidence placed in the new members. She said the Council's role extends past supervision to helping determine what the banking profession in Ghana looks like as technology and new risks reshape the industry.
She listed professional standards, digital finance capability, good governance, ethical leadership and better routes into the profession for younger bankers as the Council's priorities. "Our ambition therefore is to build a profession that is future-ready, globally competitive, strong in integrity, competence and public trust," she said.
Curriculum already covers cybersecurity, virtual assets
Speaking to journalists after the ceremony, Dr Ohene-Afoakwa said the Institute has already built cybersecurity and virtual assets into its curriculum, together with data analytics and green finance. She described success for the Council in practical terms: fewer fraud cases, bankers who act ethically and add value, and a workforce able to assess credit properly and help bring NPLs down.
CIB Ghana Chief Executive Officer Robert Dzato said continuing professional development is central to keeping members competent. He explained that remaining a member now involves more than paying subscriptions. "To be a member in the institute going forward, it's not just paying subscription, but you must take a certain minimum number of credit hours in a year to continue to maintain that status as a chartered banker," he said, according to 3News.
Mr Dzato said the Institute is also placing weight on leadership, soft skills and digital skills. It runs banking and ethics programmes at university level and supports financial literacy teaching in secondary schools as part of efforts to build the industry's future workforce.
The Council's first major public outing is set for 9 and 10 November 2026, when CIB Ghana holds its 30th National Banking and Ethics Conference under the theme "Trust, Technology and Transformation." Mr Iddrisu has confirmed he will take part, and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana and the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations are also expected to attend.
Watch for how the Council translates the Minister's priorities into concrete standards and CPD requirements, and for the Ministry's response to the Institute's advice on financial literacy in schools.
