Tanzania has been officially recognised as the first country in Africa—and indeed the world—to pioneer mobile money interoperability, a milestone that transformed the landscape of financial inclusion and digital payments across the continent.

According to economic and regulatory analyses, Tanzania initiated interoperability between mobile money operators in 2014, beginning with bilateral agreements between providers such as Airtel Money and Tigo Pesa.

This groundbreaking move enabled customers to transfer funds seamlessly across different mobile networks.

By 2016, when Vodacom (M-Pesa) joined the platform, the country had achieved full market-wide interoperability—cementing its place as the global trailblazer in this field.

While earlier mobile money services had launched elsewhere—such as Kenya’s M-Pesa in 2007 and the Philippines’ GCash in 2004—these systems operated within closed networks.

Tanzania’s 2014 interoperability rollout, therefore, became the first of its kind worldwide, setting a precedent later replicated in other regions, including Ghana.

In Ghana, the groundwork for mobile money interoperability began in 2016 under former President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, through the Bank of Ghana, which awarded the interoperability project to Sibton Switch Systems Limited (SSSL), a subsidiary of Sibton Communications Limited.

However, the incoming Akufo-Addo government in 2017 terminated the contract, citing cost concerns over the project’s estimated value of GHS 4.6 billion (approximately USD 1.2 billion at the 2016 exchange rate of 1 USD = 3.84 GHS).

Despite the contract cancellation, the Akufo-Addo administration continued the policy direction established under Mahama, leading to the successful implementation of Ghana’s mobile money interoperability system in 2018.

The project was executed under the supervision of the Bank of Ghana, with Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia playing a key coordinating role.

The statement issued by Razak Kojo Opoku (PhD) emphasises that while the current government completed the project, the conceptualisation and initiation began under the Mahama administration.

Dr. Opoku therefore describes John Mahama as the “pathfinder” of Ghana’s interoperability journey.

He further challenges claims that mobile money interoperability created over 900,000 jobs in Ghana, noting that no verifiable data supports this figure.

“The majority of mobile money vendors were already operating before the introduction of interoperability,” Dr. Opoku stated, urging policymakers and communicators to adhere strictly to verifiable facts.

Dr. Opoku’s statement calls for honesty in narrating the evolution of Africa’s digital economy, asserting:

“It is never true that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia started mobile money interoperability in Ghana, Africa, or the world.

We must speak the truth, even if it hurts.”