On Thursday, October 29, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), announced a push for a dedicated digital platform that would expose the country’s official statistics in machine‑readable formats. The move aims to allow researchers, policymakers and businesses to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and machine‑learning tools to uncover economic trends that may not be visible in traditional tables and charts.
Dr Asiama made the call at the launch of the maiden edition of Ghana in Numbers 2025, an initiative of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). He praised the GSS for consolidating authoritative socio‑economic data and highlighted the report’s value for understanding national progress, spotting emerging challenges and setting development priorities.
He stressed that accurate and timely statistics are essential to the BoG’s work, especially for setting monetary policy and regulating the financial sector. As an inflation‑targeting central bank, the BoG relies on data to gauge price movements and their links to exchange rates, economic activity, credit conditions and external developments. Reliable statistics, he said, “strengthen transparency, enhance accountability and promote public confidence in institutions.”
The Governor welcomed the inclusion of a dedicated monetary and financial‑sector section in Ghana in Numbers 2025, which draws heavily on BoG data such as inflation, interest rates, lending to businesses and households, foreign reserves and banking‑sector conditions. He argued that advances in data science, AI and machine‑learning could improve forecasting, identify patterns and assess risks, complementing conventional economic analysis.
To realise these benefits, Dr Asiama said the data underpinning publications like Ghana in Numbers must be available in formats that can be readily accessed and analysed electronically. A dedicated portal would allow researchers, academics and policymakers to examine information in greater depth and investigate relationships across different economic indicators, extending the usefulness of the report beyond its published tables and charts.
In line with this vision, the BoG has established a Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Department to enhance data governance, expand analytical capabilities and support responsible use of new technologies. The central bank is also developing a directive to regulate the use of AI in the financial sector, balancing innovation with risk management.
Dr Asiama concluded that combining reliable official statistics with modern analytical tools will strengthen economic decision‑making while ensuring that emerging technologies in the financial system are appropriately governed. The BoG’s initiative signals a broader commitment to data‑driven policy and institutional transparency.
