Ghana's IMF programme likely to free up other lending - Lagarde

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the International Monetary Fund said on Saturday that a new IMF support programme for Ghana would likely unlock lending from other bilateral institutions.

"It clearly will have a catalytic effect," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told a news conference at the conclusion of a meeting of the IMF's steering committee.

"When a country has signed a programme ... it generally always triggers on the part of other bilateral institutions, of other bilateral lenders, financing that sometimes had been frozen or locked."

Earlier this month, the Fund approved a three-year $918 million financial assistance deal for Ghana aimed at restoring economic stability and boosting job growth.

(Reporting by Timothy Ahmann; Editing by Paul Simao)