Shaibu Haruna, CEO of MobileMoney Ltd, and Prof. Peter Quartey, Director of ISSER, symbolize their commitment to advancing financial inclusion with a firm handshake after signing a groundbreaking research partnership agreement
MobileMoney LTD, a subsidiary of MTN, and ReFinD have signed a strategic partnership to conduct research on mobile money agent networks. The collaboration, announced on January 20, 2025, at ISSER, University of Ghana, aims to address critical challenges in financial inclusion by exploring strategies to enhance market penetration and support for mobile money agents in underserved communities.
"This partnership perfectly aligns with ReFinD's mission of understanding and improving financial service delivery to underserved communities," said Prof. Peter Quartey, Director of ISSER and Executive Director of ReFinD. Prof. Quartey also expressed confidence that the research model and findings could serve as a blueprint for similar studies across MTN's African markets.
Prof. Francis Annan, Co-Chair of ReFinD, expanded on the initiative’s global scope, emphasising its global potential. "This partnership creates a path to engage commercially and academically to advance research that truly matters for vulnerable populations," he stated, underlining the collaboration's potential to scale impactful research and support agent network development beyond Ghana.
Under this partnership, MobileMoney LTD will provide implementation support to ReFinD grantees, offering access to Mobile Money agents and market insights. The partnership also includes:
- Investigating methods to promote entry of agents into the market space, which is key to market intermediation.
- Understanding and addressing economic and non-economic constraints faced by agents in the scaling of access.


Shaibu Haruna, CEO of MobileMoney LTD, emphasised the broader vision of the partnership. “We look forward to working with ReFinD as a partner that is also committed to promoting financial inclusion and unlocking a world of financial possibilities for every Ghanaian,” he said.

Beyond the ReFinD project, MobileMoney LTD will collaborate with ISSER on relevant research initiatives aimed at expanding access to finance.
The formal signing ceremony took place at ISSER on January 20, bringing together key leadership and representatives from both organisations. The event was attended by other senior MobileMoney LTD officials, including Paapa Osei, Head of Legal and Reputation Management, alongside senior members of the ReFinD team and ISSER leadership, highlighting the collaborative spirit of the partnership.


Read the press release here Press release.pdf