Foreign controlled banks accounted for the overwhelming share of secured credit registered by banks in Ghana during the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest Collateral Registry data from the Bank of Ghana.
The figures indicate that banks registered GH¢19.9 billion in secured credit during the period, with foreign controlled institutions contributing GH¢14.1 billion, equivalent to 71.1 percent of the banking sector’s total. The amount represented a 19.3 percent increase from the GH¢11.8 billion recorded by foreign controlled banks during the corresponding quarter of 2025.
Indigenous banks, meanwhile, registered GH¢5.7 billion in secured credit during the second quarter, representing a substantial year on year expansion of 112.4 percent from the GH¢2.7 billion recorded during the same period in 2025.
The figures present a banking sector in which foreign controlled institutions continue to command the larger share of secured lending by value, while Ghanaian owned banks are expanding their participation at a considerably faster annual rate.
The broader secured credit market also recorded significant growth during the quarter. The Bank of Ghana reported that the total value of secured credit advanced and registered across lenders reached GH¢31.5 billion, representing a 73.4 percent increase from the GH¢18.2 billion recorded in the second quarter of 2025. Compared with the first quarter of 2026, the total value also increased by 57.5 percent.
Banks constituted the largest category of lenders by value, accounting for GH¢19.9 billion, or 63.1 percent, of the total secured credit registered during the quarter. Their contribution was itself 36.6 percent higher than the GH¢14.5 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025. Other lenders accounted for GH¢8.3 billion, representing 26.3 percent of the total.
The development points to a substantial expansion in collateral backed financing across Ghana’s financial system, even though the distribution of that financing remained concentrated among particular institutions, categories of borrowers and sectors of economic activity.
Large enterprises emerged as the biggest recipients of registered secured credit, obtaining GH¢13.8 billion, which represented 43.9 percent of the total. This reflected an annual increase of 18.3 percent in the amount of secured financing received by the category. Other borrowers accounted for GH¢10.1 billion, equivalent to 32 percent of the total registered secured credit.
Small and medium sized enterprises also experienced an expansion in access to secured financing. Credit extended to these businesses increased by 28.9 percent, rising from GH¢2.9 billion in the second quarter of 2025 to GH¢3.8 billion during the same period of 2026.
The increase is significant because secured lending remains an important avenue through which businesses can obtain financing by pledging eligible assets as security for credit. The Collateral Registry provides a formal mechanism for registering security interests attached to such borrowing.
The sectoral distribution of the financing further demonstrates where secured credit was concentrated during the period.
Construction received the largest portion, attracting GH¢9.9 billion, equivalent to 31.4 percent of the total registered secured credit. The figure places construction ahead of the other major sectors captured in the report and reflects the substantial financing requirements associated with building projects, infrastructure development and related commercial activities.
Commerce and finance also recorded considerable growth. Secured credit allocated to the sector increased by 25.9 percent, rising from GH¢6.4 billion in the second quarter of 2025 to GH¢8.1 billion during the corresponding period of 2026.
The services sector recorded an even sharper expansion, with secured lending increasing by 154.8 percent over the period.
Taken together, the figures portray an expanding secured credit market in which financing is increasingly flowing towards major enterprises, construction activities, commercial operations and service based businesses.
The growth recorded by indigenous banks is also notable within this wider picture. Although their GH¢5.7 billion contribution remained considerably below the GH¢14.1 billion registered by foreign controlled institutions, their 112.4 percent annual increase indicates that Ghanaian owned banks considerably expanded the value of their secured lending over the twelve month period.
The contrast is therefore one of scale and growth. Foreign controlled banks retained the larger share of secured bank credit, while indigenous institutions recorded the faster year on year expansion.
The overall figures also reveal an important distinction between the value of credit and the number of registrations. Reporting on the Bank of Ghana data indicates that the number of security interest registrations declined by 32.2 percent during the period even as the total value of secured credit rose sharply. This suggests that the increase in value occurred alongside fewer registered security interests, indicating a shift towards transactions of considerably greater monetary value.
For businesses seeking financing, the developments highlight the continued importance of collateral backed borrowing within Ghana’s formal financial system. For lenders, the figures demonstrate the scale of financing being supported through registered security interests across several areas of economic activity.
The strong performance of indigenous banks also adds another dimension to the banking sector’s lending landscape. Their significant annual expansion suggests that domestic institutions are increasing their involvement in secured financing, even though foreign controlled banks remain the principal contributors by value.
Meanwhile, the concentration of financing among large enterprises and the construction sector demonstrates the substantial role that secured credit continues to play in supporting larger commercial transactions and capital intensive economic activities.
The second quarter figures therefore provide a detailed picture of a Ghanaian credit market that expanded considerably during the period. Total secured credit reached GH¢31.5 billion, bank registered secured credit climbed to GH¢19.9 billion, foreign controlled banks accounted for GH¢14.1 billion, and indigenous banks recorded GH¢5.7 billion while achieving a 112.4 percent annual increase.
The data ultimately show that secured lending expanded across Ghana’s financial sector during the second quarter of 2026, with foreign controlled banks retaining the largest share among banks, indigenous institutions registering rapid growth, and construction, commerce, finance and services emerging as significant areas of secured credit activity.
