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Government is working assiduously to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Ghanaians and for export to ECOWAS, President Akufo-Addo has stated.

He observed that, access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is crucial to Ghana achieving goal seven of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“As co-chair of the group of advocates of the SDGs, I am aware that sustainable, affordable and reliable energy services must be made available not only to Ghana, but to all citizens of West Africa” he said.

President Akufo-Addo, addressing dignitaries at the closing ceremony of the 12th West African Power Pool (WAPP), in Accra last Friday, said the availability of electricity in the sub region would greatly influence West African countries to increase agricultural and industrial productivity.

Accessibility to electricity, the President explained, would lead to the socio-economic development and transformation of ECOWAS through power pooling and provision of regional electricity network to broad majority of West Africans.

“Here in Ghana we are taking advantage of electricity to consolidate the existing progress we have made in the provision of safe drinking water, ICT, telecommunication and agriculture” he averred.

In West Africa fortunately through the ECOWAS energy protocol, efforts have been made to resolve the regulatory and political barriers constraining investments in electricity supply and inadequate infrastructure around the electricity value chain.

He explained that it was the reason why every government of ECOWAS, through the supplementary act, decided most of the regional power generation facilities should be developed by WAPP through a special purpose vehicle through PPP framework.
“The 450MW regional thermal generation plant in Aboadze in Ghana and the 400MW Maria-Gleta in Benin, are being developed within this framework” the President disclosed.

Energy Minister, Emmanuel Boakye Agyarko, highlighted the need for West Africa to explore electricity integration opportunities in order to enhance development.

He said Ghana was ready to collaborate and to fully commit to initiatives that would lead to the provision of electricity to all member countries of ECOWAS.

WAPP was created by Decision A/DEC.5/12/99 of the 22nd Summit of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government with the aim of addressing power supply deficit in the sub region.

It also has the mandate to promote and develop power generation and transmission facilities, as well as coordination of power trade between ECOWAS member states.

It has a total of 29 member utilities, with almost all the major electricity utility providers in Ghana, being part.