The crisis-hit nation launched a domestic debt exchange at the start of December, days before clinching a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion rescue package.

The IMF has said that its board will approve the deal only if Ghana undergoes comprehensive debt restructuring.

The deadline for the debt swap, initially set for Dec. 19, had previously been extended to Dec. 30 and then to Jan. 16.

(Reporting by Cooper Inveen and Christian Akorlie; Writing by Sofia Christensen and Cooper Inveen; Editing by Estelle Shirbon)