ReFinD is collaborating with the International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED) to develop an Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) on agent network development in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The collaboration seeks to gather comprehensive evidence on agent network development in LMICs, identify knowledge and evidence gaps, and facilitate evidence-informed policy and programming. The project will also assess ReFinD's contribution to the broader evidence base in this area.

The Executive Director of ReFinD, Prof. Peter Quartey, joined leading voices in Ghana’s financial technology ecosystem at the 2025 Fintech Stakeholders Forum. Organised by MobileMoney Limited (MML) under the theme “Harnessing Ghana’s Fintech Potential: Regulatory Frameworks for Digital Credit and Digital Assets,” the event brought together regulators, policymakers, fintech innovators, and researchers to discuss the implications of the Bank of Ghana (BOG)’s new guidelines on digital credit and digital assets.

Ghana's digital finance system faces a distribution challenge. While urban areas have many mobile money agents competing for customers, millions of rural residents lack access to basic financial services, requiring them to travel long distances and pay high costs to deposit, withdraw, or transfer money.

ReFinD convened a high-level roundtable on “Enhancing Governance in Agent Banking Networks for Deeper Financial Inclusion at the Last Mile,” bringing together people from Ghana’s financial sector ecosystem including providers,  agents, and academics alongside the regulator. Organised as part of the Evidence to Action Conference 2025 (E2A 2025), the roundtable provided an inclusive and neutral platform for open dialogue, policy reflection, and knowledge exchange -- rooted in practice and evidence.

A cross-section of researchers, students, and enthusiasts in digital financial inclusion gathered for a ReFinD research dissemination session themed “Bridging the Last Mile: Evidence in Expanding Digital Finance to the Last Mile.” The session showcased five ReFinD-funded research projects, exploring how digital finance tools are shaping access and opportunity for underserved populations.

As part of its active participation in the 2025 Evidence to Action Conference and Exhibition (E2A2025), ReFinD hosted an engaging exhibition that drew the attention of dignitaries, including the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim.