Accra, Nov. 10, GNA – 2026 — Queen Máxima, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA), met with some Ghanaian microentrepreneurs as they discussed financial challenges, aspirations, and experiences accessing financial services.
The session, facilitated by Opportunity International Savings and Loans Limited (OISL) on November 3 in Accra, formed part of Queen Máxima’s official visit to Ghana, focused on advancing financial health through engagement with financial institutions, policymakers, businesses, and the communities they serve.
The discussion brought together six entrepreneurs from different business sectors who shared their experiences navigating savings, investments, and access to credit to pursue personal and professional goals.
The group highlighted progress made and challenges of building lasting financial security for themselves and their families.
It included Madam Patience Mensah, a shop owner and member of an OISL Faith Group, who had expanded her business into food supply, attracting a growing customer base in months.
She noted that access to capital through OISL had supported the expansion and created new opportunities for her family while balancing business growth with everyday financial needs of raising three children.
Mr Ernest Yerekuu, the Chief Executive Officer, OISL, expressed the company’s commitment to delivering innovative, client-centered financial solutions that meet the evolving needs of clients and communities.
Dr William Derban, the Interim Project Director for Opportunity International Ghana, said financial inclusion remained the first step toward lasting financial health.
“Financial health means families can meet their everyday needs, keep a roof over their heads, and send their children to school without worrying about how they’ll pay the fees,” he said.
“When entrepreneurs have that foundation of financial security, they can look beyond today’s challenges and begin investing in a better future for themselves and their families.”
OISL and Opportunity International Ghana, the network’s local nonprofit partner, are part of Opportunity International’s global network of financial institutions and nonprofit partners.
Across 18 countries, the organisation combines access to capital with training, technology, and ongoing support to expand financial inclusion and create sustainable pathways out of poverty.
In Ghana, this approach brings together OISL’s financial products, including its community-based Susu savings service, with Opportunity International Ghana’s financial literacy training, community savings groups, and Farmer Support Agents.
Together, these services help entrepreneurs build savings habits, manage their finances, grow their businesses, and strengthen their resilience to unexpected challenges.
The World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 indicates that approximately 81 per cent of Ghanaian adults had an account at a financial institution or through a mobile money provider in 2024.
However, the 2021 FinScope Survey found that 22 per cent of adults were financially healthy, underscoring the importance of moving beyond access to financial services toward meaningful improvements in household financial security.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo