Impact of Corporate Governance on the Financial Efficiency of Listed Commercial Banks in Ghana

The study investigated the influence of corporate governance (CG) mechanisms on the financial efficiency of listed commercial banks in Ghana, emphasizing the emerging role of integrated reporting (IR).Financial data from 2018 to 2023 for eight listed universal banks were analysed using correlation and regression techniques.The cost-to-income ratio (CIR) served as the primary metric for financial efficiency.The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between financial gearing and CIR ( = 0.511, p = 0.001), while other CG mechanisms, such as board size, CEO duality, and audit committee effectiveness, exhibit negligible impacts individually.However, collectively, CG mechanisms significantly influence CIR (p = 0.024).The study underscores the necessity of complementary CG practices to enhance operational resilience.The study highlights the potential of IR in improving transparency and stakeholder trust, addressing critical gaps in existing CG frameworks.Tailored CG prescriptions by the Bank of Ghana are recommended to optimize efficiency.This research provides novel insights into the interplay between CG mechanisms and financial efficiency in an emerging market context, offering actionable recommendations for policymakers and banking practitioners.