ACCRA, GHANA — At a 19-storey glass skyscraper in downtown Accra, Ghana, the daily exodus of office workers is beginning in earnest. Men and women in suits spill out into the equatorial sunset and congested city streets from the headquarters of Fidelity Bank – one of a couple of dozen banks profiting from the west African country’s economic boom.

In a modest, tidy corner office on the second floor, Julian Opuni, 40, is working late. Since returning to Ghana from the UK this year after almost 20 years working for Lloyds TSB, he has immersed himself in helping Fidelity to capitalise on the growth in small- and medium-sized businesses.

‘It is a good time for the banking sector in Ghana,’ said Opuni. ‘The banks have benefitted from what’s happening in the broader economy – the oil find, increased earnings and the high price of gold. Ghana has lots of opportunities, and there are so many markets that haven’t been tapped into yet. The banking sector in Ghana is very receptive at the moment to new ideas.’

Opuni is one of many Ghanaians attracted by Ghana’s steady economic growth – which reached 14.4% last year, driven primarily by the boom in oil, construction, technology […]