ADB (Agricultural Development Bank) Ghana Review (2026): Is It Right for You?

ADB — the Agricultural Development Bank — is a Ghanaian universal bank licensed by the Bank of Ghana with a distinctive origin and focus: it was created by an Act of Parliament to finance agriculture, and it still structures much of its lending around farming cash flows. It also offers ordinary personal and business banking through one of the larger branch networks in the country. This review covers both sides.

Who ADB is

ADB was established in 1965 by Act 286, originally as the Agricultural Credit and Co-operative Bank, and later renamed. It became a universal bank and listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange on 20 December 2016 under the ticker ADB. Its shareholding is dominated by state-linked entities: the Financial Investment Trust holds 64.05%, the Government of Ghana 21.50%, Ghana Amalgamated Trust 11.26%, with retail investors and staff holding about 3.2%. In practice, then, it is a state-controlled bank with a public mandate — which brings implicit backing, but also means its strategy and board are shaped by government.

Reach: around 80 branches and agencies

ADB describes 81 branch locations across the country, and its listing documents refer to branches and agencies in every region. Many of those are in farming districts where other banks have no presence at all — which is the point. If you are outside Accra, Kumasi or Takoradi, check ADB's branch list before assuming a bigger-name bank is nearer.

Access and mobile banking

USSD code: *767# — you can self-register without a branch visit, provided you use the same mobile number you gave when opening the account.
ADB Mobile Banking app (iOS/Android).
Internet banking via ADB Quicnet; GhQR and QUICPAY for merchant payments; mobile-money links.
Enquiries: 0302 210 210.

Everyday accounts and personal loans

ADB's personal range covers a Current Account, Savings Account, a Salary Account, a Student Save account, a Fixed Deposit account and a Call Account for money you want to keep accessible while earning interest. On the lending side it offers three consumer products — Pay Day Plus (a short-term salary advance), a standard Personal Loan, and a Quick Purchase Loan for buying goods on credit. Pricing on all three is set per product and changes; ask for the current rate sheet and the total cost of credit in writing, and compare it with the personal-loan guide.

What makes ADB different: agricultural finance

Most Ghanaian banks treat agriculture as one product line among many. ADB's reason for existing is agricultural finance, and its facilities are built around how farming and agribusiness actually generate cash:

Crop production financing for working capital through a season.
Poultry, livestock and aquaculture facilities.
Cooperative group loans for farmer groups and associations.
Nucleus outgrower schemes, where a lead firm anchors lending to its smallholder suppliers.
Term loans, overdrafts and margin loans for agribusinesses and processors.

Tenors are matched to the activity — short-term for a production season, medium-term for equipment and livestock, long-term for plantations and other slow-maturing projects. If you farm, process produce or run an agribusiness, that structure fits your reality far better than a generic personal loan, and ADB's officers are used to assessing a harvest-and-sales cycle rather than just a payslip.

Opening an account: what you'll need

The Bank of Ghana has required the Ghana Card as the sole identification for transactions at licensed institutions since 1 July 2022, and its revised late-2025 guidance requires biometric verification with liveness checks for digital onboarding. Bring your Ghana Card to a branch; for an agricultural facility, also bring evidence of your land or lease, your production history and a realistic cash-flow plan.

Is your money protected?

Yes, up to the statutory limit. ADB is a member of the Ghana Deposit Protection Scheme under Act 931, which insures GH¢6,250 per depositor per bank, principal and interest included; larger balances are recovered from the receiver if a bank fails. The limit is reviewed every two years under the 2025 amendment, so confirm the current figure in our GDPC explainer.

If something goes wrong

Complain to ADB first — on 0302 210 210, in the app, or at a branch — and keep the complaint reference number the Bank of Ghana requires every provider to issue. The bank has 20 working days to decide (up to 10 more if it tells you the case is complex). If it does not, or you disagree, petition the Bank of Ghana's Financial Stability Department within 20 working days; BoG must rule within 20 working days, and its decision binds the bank.

Who it suits

ADB is the obvious first call if you are a farmer, agro-processor or agribusiness owner looking for finance structured around your production cycle, and a practical choice for everyday banking in farming districts where it is often the only bank in town.

For pure everyday personal banking in a city, with no agricultural angle, compare its fees and app features against GCB or Fidelity as well.

Before you open an account or apply for finance

Confirm current fees and rates directly with ADB — agricultural credit in particular is priced project by project.
For a loan, be ready with a realistic production and cash-flow plan; agricultural lenders assess against your harvest and sales cycle, not only a credit score.
If you are financing a non-agricultural business, see Development Bank Ghana's SME facility for another route to medium- to long-term funding.

Compare ADB against other Ghanaian bank accounts.

Frequently asked questions

What is ADB's USSD code? *767#. You can self-register from the mobile number linked to your account.

What makes ADB different from other Ghanaian banks? It was established by Act 286 of 1965 specifically to finance agriculture, and still structures credit around farming and agribusiness cash-flow cycles, alongside standard personal and business banking.

Is ADB only for farmers? No — it offers ordinary personal and business banking too, but its real differentiator is agricultural finance.

Who owns ADB? Mostly state-linked shareholders: the Financial Investment Trust (64.05%), the Government of Ghana (21.50%) and Ghana Amalgamated Trust (11.26%), with the balance held by retail investors and staff through the GSE.

Is ADB a licensed, insured bank? Yes — Bank of Ghana–licensed, listed on the GSE since 2016, with deposits GDPC-insured up to GH¢6,250 per depositor.