Category: Consulting

So Telcos Want to Become Banks—Now What? Rethinking the Future of Retail Banking in Africa

Posted on April 28, 2025April 28, 2025 by ethelcofie

So Telcos Want to Become Banks—Now What? Rethinking the Future of Retail Banking in Africa By 2023, MTN Mobile Money

Building In-House AI Capacity in Banking: A Director’s Guide to What to Hire and How to Hire

Posted on April 22, 2025 by ethelcofie

Building In-House AI Capacity in Banking: A Director’s Guide to What to Hire and How to Hire
Why Build AI Capacity Internally?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a future concept — it is reshaping banking today. From detecting fraud in real-time to helping customers get faster loan decisions, AI has the potential to significantly increase efficiency, improve risk management, and enhance customer experience.
However, relying solely on outside vendors means you:
• May not fully own your data insights.
• Lose flexibility in tailoring solutions to your unique needs.
• Risk exposing sensitive customer data.
Building internal AI capacity allows the bank to:
• Control and secure its most valuable asset — customer and operational data.
• Develop models and systems that are custom-fit to the bank’s goals and compliance environment.
• Respond quickly to changing regulatory demands and market conditions.

Rethinking the Talent Equation:How Ghana Can Compete in a Global Brain Economy

Posted on April 10, 2025 by ethelcofie

Rethinking the Talent Equation:How Ghana Can Compete in a Global Brain Economy As Ghana prepares for BRT 2025 under the

Making the Case for Open Banking in Ghana: A Strategic Imperative for the Bank of Ghana

Posted on April 3, 2025April 3, 2025 by ethelcofie

A New Way to Power Finance in Ghana Imagine being able to use a single mobile app to see your bank accounts, mobile money wallets, savings, insurance, and even your loan eligibility—all in one place, in real-time. Now imagine that app recommending the best savings plan or offering a better loan deal from a different bank with just a few clicks. That is the power of Open Banking.

Why Most Corporate-Startup Partnerships Fail—and How to Fix It! (My lessons from judging top corporate startup competitions)

Posted on October 14, 2024October 14, 2024 by ethelcofie

Having had the privilege of judging numerous business pitch competitions across various industries—including the USAID Armyworm Challenge, the MTN Challenge for several years, the Africa Engineering Prize, MIT Solve, the Ghana Government Presidential Pitch, GSMA GLOMO Awards, and most recently the Ecobank Fintech Challenge—I’ve gained deep insights into the intersection of corporate and startup worlds. These competitions are a testament to the corporate sector’s desire to stay attuned to emerging trends in technology and innovation, a vital step in avoiding irrelevance. However, beyond the excitement of the pitch, I’ve observed a consistent gap: many corporates struggle to effectively capitalize on the potential of startup partnerships to truly drive growth.

What If MTN Ghana Became a Bank? Would It Be Bigger Than Your Bank?

Posted on August 27, 2024January 9, 2025 by ethelcofie

I left the conference thinking about what it would look like if telecom companies in Ghana could get banking licenses. I conducted an analysis of the potential effects, focusing on MTN due to its significant market share. It is important to note that MTN has clearly stated it is not seeking a banking license.

My analysis is based on data from the Ghana Banking Industry Report 2023 (A Report by LIMA Partners), the NCA data subscription analysis for December 2022 to January 2023, MTN Ghana’s FY 2023 results, and the BFT Banking Industry’s Performance in 2023 at a glance article, which is based on the summary of macroeconomic and financial data released by the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol Has Being Adopted:Now What ?

Posted on August 26, 2024January 9, 2025 by ethelcofie

Following protracted negotiations, and industry consultations, the 37th African Union (“AU”) Heads of States Summit held on 17 – 18 February 2024, adopted the much anticipated AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade (“AfCFTA Digital Protocol”).

10 Critical Questions to Ask About Digital Strategies in Ghana’s Election Manifestos

Posted on August 22, 2024August 26, 2024 by ethelcofie

As Ghana enters an election year and manifesto season is in full swing, digital transformation has become a hot topic. Given its pivotal role in national development, it’s crucial to ask the right questions when evaluating the digital and tech promises in these manifestos. I’m not wading into politics—just offering a framework, from a tech perspective, to help Ghanaians critically assess the digital strategies of those vying for leadership.

Team led by Ethel Cofie Develops Ghana’s First AI Curriculum for Technical Universities – Shaping the Future of AI Education in Ghana

Posted on August 19, 2024January 9, 2025 by ethelcofie

n Ghana’s educational system landscape, a transformative journey is unfolding. The Commission for Vocational and Technical Education, an agency under the Ministry of Education, is spearheading an ambitious initiative to develop the nation’s first curriculum for Artificial Intelligence (AI) tailored specifically for programs in technical universities. This groundbreaking endeavor is set to equip students with the practical knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the fast-evolving AI industry, fostering a generation of innovators poised to lead Ghana into a new era of technological advancement.

AI for Africa: The What’s, How’s and When’s

Posted on July 23, 2024January 9, 2025 by ethelcofie

AI is projected to add a staggering $2.9 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030, increasing the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth by three percent. Despite Africa’s immense potential, it currently represents only 2.5% of the global AI market, underscoring the need for increased investment and development in this field.