Saamoi Leads Liberia at African Central Bank Meetings | News

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The Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), Henry F. Saamoi, led Liberia’s high-level participation in the 48th Annual Meetings of the Association of African Central Banks (AACB) in Nairobi, Kenya, reinforcing Liberia’s active role in shaping Africa’s evolving monetary, financial, and payment systems architecture.

Hosted by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) from September 13–18, 2026, the Annual Meetings brought together Governors and senior officials from central banks across Africa to deliberate on critical issues affecting the continent, including monetary cooperation, financial stability, monetary integration, cross-border payment systems, financial inclusion, and the rapidly expanding role of artificial intelligence in central banking.

Governor Saamoi’s participation extended beyond the formal Annual Meetings to include the AACB Bureau Meeting, Governors’ Symposium, Assembly of Governors Meeting, the Central Bank of Kenya’s inaugural International Artificial Intelligence Conference, and the PAPSS Governing Council Meeting held on September 19.

Governor Saamoi Champions Responsible AI for Central Banking

A major highlight of Liberia’s participation was Governor Saamoi’s role as a panelist at the Central Bank of Kenya’s inaugural International Artificial Intelligence Conference, where he addressed the theme, “AI for Monetary Policy, Data Analytics, and Financial Stability.”

The Governor outlined Liberia’s emerging approach to artificial intelligence, emphasizing its potential to strengthen central banking effectiveness while preserving human judgment, institutional accountability, and public trust.

At the core of his presentation was a guiding principle that he described as fundamental to the CBL’s approach: “AI should augment the judgment of central bankers, not replace it.”

Governor Saamoi noted that artificial intelligence presents significant opportunities for central banks to improve the quality and timeliness of economic data, strengthen macroeconomic forecasting, enhance financial-sector surveillance, improve foreign-exchange market monitoring, support early-warning systems, and increase institutional productivity. He disclosed that the CBL is currently at the early stages of institutional AI adoption and is transitioning from experimentation toward a more structured and coordinated approach to identifying appropriate applications across its operations.

At the same time, the Governor stressed that technological adoption must be accompanied by strong institutional safeguards. These include data governance, ethical standards, cybersecurity, human oversight, accountability, and continuous capacity development.

He emphasized that the objective is not simply to introduce new technology, but to ensure that emerging technologies contribute meaningfully to better policymaking, stronger institutions, and more inclusive economic development.

Liberia Completes West African Subregional Leadership Role

Governor Saamoi also participated in the AACB Bureau Meeting in his capacity as Chairperson of the West African Subregion Bureau, marking the conclusion of Liberia’s 2025–2026 leadership of the subregional body. During Liberia’s tenure, the CBL represented the interests and perspectives of West African central banks in continental monetary and financial policy discussions.

Following the conclusion of Liberia’s tenure, leadership of the West African Subregion Bureau was formally transferred to the Bank of Sierra Leone, represented by its Governor, Dr. Ibrahim L. Stevens, for the 2026–2027 term.

As outgoing Chair, Governor Saamoi also consulted regional counterparts on arrangements for the upcoming AACB activities. These consultations supported the endorsement of the Bank of Ghana as AACB Vice-Chair and host of the 2027 Annual Meeting, while the Central Bank of Nigeria was selected to host the 2027 Continental Seminar and serve as Alternate Chair of the West African Subregion Bureau. The transition reflects Liberia’s continued commitment to strengthening coordination, cooperation, and institutional continuity within the West African central banking community.

African Governors Examine Pathways to Greater Monetary and Financial Integration

The AACB Governors’ Symposium, held on September 17 under the theme, “African Monetary Integration and Financial Sovereignty: Strategic Perspectives in Reducing the Continent’s Dependence on International Institutions,” provided a platform for Governors to examine strategic challenges and opportunities facing Africa’s monetary and financial architecture. Discussions focused on:

Strengthening monetary policy frameworks and macroeconomic convergence; developing domestic financial markets and alternative sources of financing; expanding integrated Pan-African payment systems; and sharing experiences relevant to monetary integration and financial sovereignty.

The deliberations underscored the importance of strong domestic financial markets, credible monetary policy frameworks, efficient cross-border payment infrastructure, and deeper regional cooperation as essential pillars of Africa’s long-term financial resilience and integration.

For Liberia, these discussions are particularly relevant as the country continues to strengthen its financial infrastructure, expand digital financial services, deepen financial inclusion, and participate actively in regional and continental payment-system initiatives.

CBL Strengthens Engagement in Pan-African Payment Integration

Following the AACB Annual Meetings, Governor Saamoi participated in the PAPSS Governing Council Meeting held in Nairobi on September 19 and chaired by the Governor of the Bank of Zambia, Hon. Danny Kalyalya.

Liberia, represented by the Central Bank of Liberia, has served on the PAPSS Governing Council for the past two years. In accordance with the established governance arrangements, Liberia’s current tenure on the Council will conclude in November 2026.

Liberia also maintains representation on the PAPSS Technical Committee (PSOC) through the CBL’s Payment Systems Department.

The CBL’s continued engagement in PAPSS reflects Liberia’s commitment to advancing efficient, secure, and integrated African payment systems and reducing barriers to cross-border financial transactions across the continent.

CBL Reaffirms Commitment to Continental Cooperation

The 2026 AACB Annual Meetings provided an important platform for African central banks to exchange experiences, coordinate policy perspectives, and strengthen cooperation on issues affecting monetary and financial stability.

Deliberations covered the African Monetary Cooperation Programme, the proposed African Central Bank, operationalization of the African Monetary Institute, banking supervision, payment systems integration, remittance costs, financial stability, financial inclusion, and the AACB’s future work program.

Governor Saamoi’s participation in these engagements underscores the Central Bank of Liberia’s continued commitment to regional monetary cooperation, financial stability, technological innovation, financial inclusion, and deeper African financial integration.

As Liberia continues to modernize its financial system and strengthen the capacity of its central banking institutions, the CBL remains committed to ensuring that the country’s voice is actively represented in regional and continental policy discussions.

The Bank will continue to work with fellow African central banks and regional institutions to promote a more resilient, inclusive, innovative, and integrated African financial system.