As part of the Bank’s efforts towards economic empowerment for all, Consolidated Bank Ghana LTD. (CBG) has officially launched the CBG Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Inclusion Loan Initiative to empower PWD entrepreneurs in the country. 

In her keynote address, the Managing Director of Consolidated Bank Ghana LTD., Dr. Naomi Wolali Kwetey emphasized the importance of financial inclusion as a strategic responsibility of the Bank. She underscored that potential exists within every sector of society and that it is CBG's mission to convert that potential into tangible economic participation. 

The PWD Inclusion Loan Initiative is therefore a pivotal step in CBG’s financial inclusion agenda to build on existing efforts through the bank’s PWD Financial Inclusion Programme, which onboarded 119 participants. CBG funded the minimum opening balances and provided service-fee waivers to break down barriers to banking, emphasizing that Persons with Disabilities are entrepreneurs, employers, producers, professionals, and customers.

Dr. Naomi Kwetey addressed the challenges individuals with disabilities face in accessing conventional financial products, indicating that the loan initiative is designed to address these barriers by offering loans rather than grants, ensuring beneficiaries are recognized as capable economic partners within the formal credit system.

“This initiative is a dedicated pathway to credit for PWD entrepreneurs, bringing together financial literacy, concessionary finance, and sustained business support,” the Managing Director explained. She highlighted the initiative’s careful structure to balance inclusion with responsibility, affirming that “inclusion without sustainability will not endure.”

She conveyed CBG’s commitment to expanding responsible access to finance, impacting not only the beneficiaries present at the event but also those across Ghana. “Our ambition goes beyond the beneficiaries gathered here. We intend to deepen partnerships and expand responsible access to finance for PWD-owned businesses across the nation,” she said.

A representative of the beneficiary group expressed appreciation to CBG and the Korklu Foundation, led by Hon. Dorcas Korklu Afotey, for the partnership and confidence placed in them. 

The event brought together key stakeholders, including Deputy Managing Directors, Sheila Azuntaba and Florence Adei Ohene; Divisional Head, Business and Inclusive Banking, Mr. Emmanuel Nikoi; Senior Management members; representatives from the Korklu Foundation and beneficiaries eager to advance in their business journeys.

As CBG takes this step, Management looks forward to witnessing the transformative effects that responsible lending and financial partnership can have on the lives of PWD entrepreneurs, setting a precedent for inclusive growth in Ghana's financial landscape.