Queen Máxima of the Netherlands is in Ghana on a mission to improve the financial wellbeing of ordinary people. The Queen, who serves as the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health, is on a three-day visit from November 3 to 5, 2026, according to a report by Citi Newsroom.
Her visit focuses on four key areas, Citi Newsroom reports:
She is expected to meet users of financial services, government officials, development partners, farmers, entrepreneurs and financial institutions during the trip.
Ghana has made big gains in financial inclusion. The report cites the Global Findex 2025, which found that more than 80% of Ghanaian adults have an account and access to products such as loans, savings and insurance.
But having an account does not always mean being financially secure. A 2021 FinScope study found that only 22% of Ghanaian adults are financially healthy, while 44% are coping and 34% are financially vulnerable, according to the report.
The Queen's advocacy aims to ensure that access to financial services actually helps people manage daily expenses, cope with shocks, invest in their wellbeing and build long-term stability.
Her programme includes a courtesy visit to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and Lady Julia Osei Tutu in Kumasi, followed by discussions with traditional leaders in the Ashanti Region, Citi Newsroom reports.
On the final day, Thursday, November 5, she is scheduled to meet President John Dramani Mahama, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku and Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, according to the report. She is also expected to hold talks with investors, financial institutions and the World Bank on long-term savings, pension coverage and building financial health into financial services.
Born in Argentina, Queen Máxima became Queen of the Netherlands in 2013 when her husband, King Willem-Alexander, ascended the throne. Before marrying into the Dutch royal family, she worked in banking and finance in New York and Europe.
She has served as the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate since 2009, originally focusing on inclusive finance for development. Her mandate has since shifted to financial health, reflecting a global move from simply opening accounts to making sure people can use financial services to improve their lives.
Much of Ghana's progress in financial inclusion has been driven by mobile money, which allows people to send, receive and save money using their phones. Mobile money has brought millions of people into the financial system, especially in rural areas and among informal workers.
The next challenge, experts say, is to make sure people can use these tools to save, plan and protect themselves against emergencies, rather than only to make payments.
With more than 90% of Ghana's businesses operating informally and many workers lacking pensions or insurance, as recent Ghana Statistical Service figures show, the question of financial health goes to the heart of how families and small businesses cope with rising costs and unexpected shocks.
The report did not include any statements from the Queen or Ghanaian officials, and the outcomes of her meetings had not been announced at the time of writing.
Attention will turn to any commitments or initiatives announced after her meetings with President Mahama and the economic team, particularly on agricultural finance, savings and pensions, and how they might shape the financial products available to Ghanaian households.
