Ecobank's Regional Head of Commercial and Consumer Banking, Charllote Amanquah, has emphasized that access to finance alone will not resolve the challenges facing Ghana's agricultural businesses. Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, Amanquah highlighted the need for businesses to be ready to approach lenders. This was following the Ecobank Joy Business Financial Dialogue held on Tuesday.
According to Amanquah, discussions during the dialogue showed that businesses needed to have "bankability preparedness", including record-keeping. They also needed to establish "where their products will be sold". This suggests that many agribusinesses in Ghana are not adequately prepared to access loans and other forms of financing. As a result, they are unable to reach their full potential.
Amanquah also stressed the need for greater awareness of the financing options available to agribusinesses. This awareness, she believes, will enable more businesses to access financing and other forms of support. Furthermore, she called for efforts to extend existing interventions to more people across the agricultural value chain. This, she noted, would help to increase the impact of such interventions.
The Ecobank official also discussed the importance of green finance in the agricultural sector. She noted that its value to farmers and businesses should be assessed through results they could see, including savings on energy and water costs. Ecobank, she said, aimed to link its green financing to measurable outcomes. This approach will help to ensure that green finance is used effectively and efficiently.
Amanquah called for closer cooperation among commercial banks, development institutions, and organisations such as the Ghana Commodity Exchange. She noted that these institutions should work together "in order to serve the beneficiaries within the agri-sector in Ghana". This cooperation, she believes, will help to avoid "siloism or individual efforts" and increase the impact of support for agribusinesses.
The Ecobank Joy Business Financial Dialogue is part of a broader effort to support the development of Ghana's agricultural sector. The dialogue aims to bring together stakeholders to discuss key issues affecting the sector and identify solutions. By working together, stakeholders can help to address the challenges facing agribusinesses and increase their access to financing and other forms of support.
Moving forward, Amanquah urged that the proposals from the dialogue be put into practice. This, she believes, will help to ensure that the needs of agribusinesses are met and that they are able to reach their full potential. By doing so, Ghana's agricultural sector can be strengthened, and the country's economic development can be supported.
Key points
- Ecobank's Charllote Amanquah emphasizes that access to finance alone is not enough to resolve the challenges facing Ghana's agricultural businesses.
- Amanquah calls for greater awareness of financing options and closer cooperation among stakeholders to support agribusinesses.
- Ecobank aims to link its green financing to measurable outcomes, such as savings on energy and water costs.
