Ghana is set to pilot a continental digital trade corridor in partnership with Rwanda, Zambia, and other African countries, in a move aimed at accelerating cross-border digital finance and trade integration.

The announcement was made by the Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang during the 2026 edition of the 3i Africa Summit 2026 held in Accra.

According to her, the pilot initiative will focus on key areas including mobile money interoperability, mutual recognition of digital identity for cross-border Know-Your-Customer (KYC) processes, and harmonised electronic invoicing systems.

“This pilot will be implemented, tested, and measured to ensure that integration works in practice,” she stated.

The Vice President said the move forms part of broader efforts to position Ghana as a functional gateway to Africa, not just by geography, but through efficient and reliable systems that enable seamless transactions and business operations.

She stressed that Africa’s economic future will depend heavily on digital integration, noting that participation in today’s economy increasingly requires the ability to transact, verify identity, and operate across borders.

“Economic sovereignty now depends on integration, particularly digital integration,” she said.

She identified four critical pillars for Africa’s digital transformation: payments, identity, regulation, and infrastructure, adding that progress in these areas will determine whether the continent can compete effectively on the global stage.

The Vice President also highlighted persistent challenges, including reliance on external financial systems for intra-African transactions, fragmented regulatory frameworks, and limited digital infrastructure.

“Intra-African payments routed outside the continent increase cost and delay, undermining the vision of a single market,” she noted.

She emphasised that strengthening digital identity systems will be crucial to building trust and expanding participation, especially for millions of Africans currently excluded from formal financial systems.

On infrastructure, she warned that Africa’s limited data storage capacity raises concerns about digital sovereignty.

“If our data is stored and processed elsewhere, then even when we participate, we lack control,” she said.

The planned digital trade corridor is expected to serve as a testing ground for deeper continental integration under frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Vice President urged governments, regulators, and industry players to move beyond dialogue and focus on implementation.

“Integration must not only be discussed, it must be demonstrated,” she said.

The 3i Africa Summit brings together policymakers, central bankers, fintech leaders, and investors to explore the future of digital finance on the continent.