Queen Máxima of the Netherlands arrived in Ghana on 2 November 2026 for a four‑day tour aimed at strengthening the country’s financial wellbeing. In her role as the United Nations Secretary‑General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, the Queen will engage with a wide range of stakeholders to explore ways to help Ghanaians save, manage debt and weather financial shocks.
Data from the 2021 FinScope survey reveal that merely 22 per cent of Ghanaian adults are financially healthy, 44 per cent are managing to cope and 34 per cent are financially vulnerable. Yet the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 report shows that more than 80 per cent of adults in Ghana hold bank or mobile‑money accounts, signalling that inclusion alone is not enough to secure financial stability.
During her visit, Queen Máxima will tour a farm and a fruit‑processing factory in the Upper West Akim District, meet farmers and workers to discuss unstable incomes and limited insurance access, and visit a hospital to learn how digital tools help patients manage chronic conditions while cutting costs. In Accra she will speak with women traders at Makola Market about savings and loan products that support their businesses.
On 4 November she will sit down with Bank of Ghana officials and later with World Bank representatives to advance pension coverage and long‑term savings for informal sector workers. The final day will feature high‑level meetings with President John Dramani Mahama, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku and Bank of Ghana Governor Dr. Johnson Asiama, as the government is set to unveil a new financial sector development strategy.
The Queen’s visit underscores her global push for financial systems that go beyond account ownership to enable people to meet everyday expenses, cope with emergencies and build lasting security.
