Dr Johnson Asiama, Bank of Ghana Governor
The Bank of Ghana has officially inaugurated the Bank of Ghana Chair in Finance and Economics at the University of Ghana, marking a major step toward deepening collaboration between academia and economic policymaking.
Speaking at the inaugural event on August 5, 2025, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama, described the initiative as a strategic investment in Ghana’s “intellectual sovereignty and policy future.”
“The ability to share ideas with academia is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Because policy without intellect is blind, and theory without policy is sterile,” Dr Asiama said.
He added that the Chair would support cutting-edge research in areas such as inflation, exchange rate management, digital finance, and the regulation of virtual assets, challenges central to Ghana’s current monetary landscape.
Themed “From Cowries to Crypto,” the Governor’s speech traced Ghana’s monetary evolution and called for forward-looking financial policy in the digital era.
He cited Ghana’s leadership in piloting the e-Cedi and the forthcoming regulation of virtual asset providers as proof of the central bank’s commitment to innovation grounded in stability.
“Our job, as regulators, academics, and citizens, is to shape that evolution with wisdom… and ensure that the Ghana Cedi, whether in coin, note, or code, remains a symbol of national confidence,” he noted.
Dr Asiama also announced the launch of the Governor’s Future Leaders Fellowship, a new programme to identify and mentor high-performing economics and finance graduates for global training and national service.
The Chair is expected to be held by Professor Yegandi Imhotep Paul Alagidede, and will serve as a hub for scholarship, student mentorship, and policy development.
The Governor urged students not to “sit on the sidelines of national discourse,” but to actively engage in shaping Ghana’s economic transformation.
MA
