CSJ
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) is set to host its second regional forum on Financial Inclusion and Social Protection for Informal Sector Workers on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at Mariam Road, Agric, Tamale.
The dialogue, themed “Bridging the Gap: Financial Inclusion & Social Protection for Informal Sector Workers,” follows the successful Kumasi forum held in August, where farmers, traders, and regulators engaged in frank discussions about the persistent barriers to accessing financial services and insurance products.
Building on the insights from Kumasi, the Tamale forum will bring together women smallholder farmers, financial and insurance institutions, civil society groups, and government agencies from the Northern and Upper East, regions.
The goal is to co-create solutions that make financial services more inclusive, responsive, and accessible to those working in Ghana’s informal economy.
That first session highlighted recurring challenges: unaffordable loan collateral, interest rates that erode small profits, and insurance schemes that fail market traders in times of crisis.
The Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John, will deliver the keynote address, outlining the government’s vision for empowering smallholder farmers and traders through tailored social protection and inclusive financial programs.
His participation underscores the growing recognition that sustainable economic development depends on bringing informal workers into Ghana’s formal financial and protection systems.
The forum will be chaired by Prof. Alex Manu, Executive Director of CSJ, and moderated by Prisca Ansah, Mrs. Bashiratu Kamal, and Alhassan Haruna.
Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has announced that insights emerging from both the Kumasi and Tamale regional dialogues will be synthesised into a set of evidence-based policy proposals and reform recommendations.
These will be presented at the Grand National Policy Dialogue in Accra later this year, where government officials, regulators, and private sector actors will be engaged on actionable strategies to enhance financial inclusion and social protection for informal sector workers across Ghana.
“This is about more than conversation — it’s about accountability,” said Prisca Ansah, Project Lead. “Stakeholders who attend in Tamale will help shape a policy agenda that responds directly to the needs of the informal sector.”
The initiative, supported by the Star Ghana Foundation with funding from the Hewlett Foundation, forms part of the Action for Voice, Influence, and Inclusive Development (AVID II) project.
The project seeks to advocate for inclusive financial systems and equitable social protection policies that recognise the realities of Ghana’s informal workforce—especially women traders and smallholder farmers.