Ghana’s Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has called on all ECOWAS Member States to honor their outstanding capital subscription obligations to the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), warning that arrears of approximately US$256 million remain unpaid beyond an agreed December 2025 deadline.
Dr. Forson made the appeal during the 24th Ordinary Session of the Board of Governors of EBID, held in Accra, where he disclosed that only four of the bloc’s fifteen member states namely Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Togo have fully met their obligations under the third tranche of subscriptions amounting to US$411.4 million.
The tranche forms part of a broader agreement to raise EBID’s authorised capital from its previous level to US$3.4 billion.
“At that session, it was agreed that EBID’s authorised capital should increase to US$3.4 billion. At that same meeting, a call for the third tranche of subscriptions amounting to US$411.4 million was agreed. The agreed deadline for full payment was December 2025. Yet, to date, only four Member States, namely Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Togo, have fully met their obligations. While US$102.5 million was received in 2025, outstanding arrears still stand at approximately US$256 million. In light of the missed December 2025 deadline, I urge all Member States to act with renewed commitment in fulfilling their obligations to the Bank,” he stated.
The Finance Minister stressed that timely capital contributions are not only essential to reaching the bank’s target capitalisation but also to sustaining EBID’s capacity to finance large-scale development initiatives across the region.
“Timely capital payments are critical. It strengthens EBID’s leverage and sustains its growth and impact across our region. Expanding our capital base is essential to strengthening our ability to finance transformative development projects and stimulate inclusive economic growth in all Member States,” he said.
Dr. Forson also expressed gratitude to the bank for Ghana’s privilege of serving as Chair of the Board of Governors over the past year, commending EBID President Dr. George Agyekum Donkor and his team for their stewardship during a period of notable institutional growth.
Under his tenure as Chair, EBID recorded a balance sheet expansion from US$1.97 billion in 2024 to US$2.39 billion by end-2025, a 13.3 percent increase in profit from US$8.55 million to US$9.75 million, and an 83 percent surge in commitments.
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