Ghana International Bank (GHIB) has concluded GHIBCONVERGE 2025, its flagship thought-leadership and impact forum, after three days of intensive debate on the future of African commodity trade and finance.
The event, held in the City of London from 6–8 August 2025, brought together policymakers, financiers, commodity executives, legal specialists, and development experts from across Africa and the global market to craft actionable strategies for shifting the continent from raw commodity dependence to value-added trade, supported by sustainable finance and integrated infrastructure.
Under the banner ‘Rethinking Commodity Finance for Growth’, the conference explored the opportunities and structural reforms needed to accelerate Africa’s industrialisation, strengthen its trade position, and unlock new sources of revenue.
Dean Adansi – Financing the shift to value-addition
In his opening remarks, GHIB Chief Executive Officer Dean Adansi made the case for re-engineering Africa’s commodity export model. He noted that just 14percent of Africa’s exports are currently value-added goods — a figure that has remained unchanged for decades — and that this represents a lost opportunity worth billions in unrealised export earnings. “We are sitting on untapped billions in export revenues because we continue to export raw cocoa instead of chocolate, raw gold instead of refined bullion, and raw cashew instead of processed kernels,” Mr. Adansi told attendees. “The financing solutions exist but they require alignment between banks, policymakers, and industry.”
He proposed creating dedicated value-addition funds, expanding structured trade finance for processing plants, and promoting risk-sharing arrangements between African and global lenders. He also urged regulatory harmonisation across African economies to enable processed goods to move freely under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Central Bank perspectives – Gold refining, growth, and resilience
A keynote session on ‘Growing Africa through Commodities’ featured Governor Buah Saidy of the Central Bank of The Gambia, who delivered a forthright assessment of the strategic role commodities can play in macroeconomic stability. “For too long, Africa’s commodity wealth has been exported in its rawest form, leaving value and jobs offshore,” Governor Saidy said. “By investing in domestic refining capacity, building regional value chains, and securing fairer terms of trade, we can anchor our currencies, strengthen reserves, and create lasting resilience in our economies.”
Ghana’s central bank was represented by its First Deputy Governor, Dr. Zakaria Mumuni, who underscored the Bank of Ghana’s commitment to expanding domestic gold refining capacity and integrating ESG considerations into commodity sector policy. He highlighted how refining at source could reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported refined bullion and provide a hedge against volatility in global markets. “Ghana’s long-term macroeconomic stability depends on our ability to capture more value from the commodities we produce,” said the First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana. “Expanding our domestic gold refining capacity is not just about increasing export revenues; it is about building resilience into our reserves, improving our trade balance, and ensuring that Ghanaians benefit more directly from the resources we own.”
Lord Boateng – Commodities as strategic leverage
In a keynote address on Day Two, Lord Paul Boateng, former UK Cabinet Minister and GHIB Board Member, argued that Africa must treat its commodity resources as geopolitical assets. “Critical minerals, cocoa, gold, these are not just export lines in a trade ledger,” Lord Boateng said. “They are bargaining chips in a changing global order, and Africa must use them to secure technology transfer, infrastructure investment, and sustainable value chains.”
His remarks framed a panel discussion on the race for critical minerals; a sector poised to benefit from surging global demand for battery metals and clean energy inputs. Panellists examined the policy frameworks and financing models needed to ensure Africa moves beyond extraction into refining and high-value manufacturing, particularly in electric vehicle supply chains.
Panel highlights – Breadth, depth, and solutions
Across the three days, #GHIBCONVERGE 2025 hosted multiple panels and fireside chats covering the commodity finance landscape in both breadth and depth:
- Commodity trade as a catalyst for economic renewal: Speakers mapped Africa’s current commodity profile and explored financing gaps that keep processing industries underdeveloped. Case studies highlighted cocoa and cashew processing as early movers in value-addition.
- New methods of commodity financing – The cocoa case study: Using Ghana’s cocoa sector as a lens, this discussion examined how hybrid financing models and forward contracts can be structured to support smallholder farmers and processors.
- Minerals and petroleum finance: Executives from mining, energy, and banking sectors debated how to create competitive finance packages for large-scale extractive projects while incorporating local content requirements.
- AI and blockchain in commodity finance: Technology leaders demonstrated real-world applications for digital ledgers in trade documentation, reducing fraud, and tracking goods in transit.
- Success factors in commodity finance: This session brought together bankers and trade finance experts to dissect what makes commodity finance deals work, from credit risk assessment to collateral management.
- Managing risk in modern commodity finance: Insurers, bankers, and traders discussed reimagining risk-sharing structures to reduce transaction costs and improve access for smaller players.
- Financial crime risks in commodity finance: Experts from risk management firms and banks addressed sanctions compliance, anti-money laundering protocols, and proliferation financing safeguards.
- Infrastructure solutions for commodity trade: Panelists stressed that without reliable ports, energy grids, and transport corridors, even the most innovative financing models will falter.
- Legal perspectives on emerging trends: Lawyers with commodity finance expertise analysed the evolving regulatory landscape, arbitration trends, and dispute resolution frameworks in cross-border trade.
- Agro-commodity finance: Specialists shared strategies for financing agricultural value chains, balancing seasonal cash flow needs with long-term investment in processing facilities.
Sustainability, ESG, and long-term competitiveness
A recurring theme was the need to integrate sustainability into every stage of the commodity value chain. Discussions covered sustainability-linked loans, responsible sourcing certifications, and carbon footprint reporting as competitive differentiators for African exporters in environmentally conscious markets.
Partnerships and recognition
The conference also served as a platform for strategic collaboration. GHIB announced a partnership with Vista Bank to expand trade finance offerings across West Africa. At the conference’s closing ceremony, GHIB presented its inaugural Trader of the Year award to Mr. Edmund Poku, Chief Executive Officer of Niche Cocoa Industry Ltd., in recognition of the company’s exceptional contribution to African commodity value addition. Niche Cocoa has emerged as a leading example of how African processors can compete in global markets by producing finished and semi-finished cocoa products at scale, creating jobs, and retaining more value domestically. Mr. Poku’s leadership was commended as emblematic of the entrepreneurial drive needed to transform Africa’s commodity trade model.
Closing – A call to collective action
In his closing address, Mr. Adansi reiterated GHIB’s commitment to bridging African opportunity with global capital. “The transformation will not be led by governments alone or by the private sector alone. It requires a coalition of committed actors who see beyond short-term margins to long-term wealth creation for Africa. GHIB will continue to be that bridge — between African opportunity and global capital, between raw potential and realised value.”
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