Future of Energy Conference: Africa cannot industrialise in the dark – ECOWAS Bank President

President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Dr George Nana Agyekum Donkor, has warned that Africa’s industrialisation ambitions will remain elusive without adequate, reliable and affordable energy.

 

He said Africa had for decades supplied the world with raw materials, including cocoa, gold and bauxite, while importing finished products at significantly higher costs, a situation that has constrained value addition, job creation and economic transformation on the continent.

 

"We have lit up other continents while over 600million of our own people remain in darkness," he stated as keynote speaker at the Future of Energy Conference 2026 in Accra. "Africa cannot industrialise in the dark".

 

Dr Donkor said achieving Africa’s industrialisation agenda would require deliberate policymaking, stronger coordination and substantial investment in energy infrastructure.

 

He stressed that no industrial revolution could take off without a robust and dependable energy system capable of supporting manufacturing and other productive sectors.

 

According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa requires about $25 billion annually to achieve universal access to electricity, highlighting the scale of investment needed to close the continent’s energy deficit.

 

Dr Donkor said EBID, recognising energy as central to Africa’s industrialisation, had committed more than $1 billion of its resources across the energy value chain as of June 2026.

 

"We have invested in electricity generation,  both conventional and renewable, transmission and distribution projects, while also supporting fuel procurement to keep economies running," said Dr Donkor.

 

He said the bank’s Growth, Resilience and Optimisation Strategy would see it commit a minimum of $2 billion to the energy sector by 2030.

 

Dr Donkor proposed a four-pronged approach to addressing Africa’s energy deficit and creating the foundation for industrialisation.

 

The approach includes strengthening national and regional grid systems, deploying large-scale renewable energy systems, exploiting domestic natural gas resources and expanding embedded generation capacity within industries.

 

"Effective industrialisation in Africa requires a mixed energy system consisting reliable electricity, renewable energy, natural gas, regional power pools and distributed energy solutions. The objective is not merely to increase electricity access but to ensure that industries receive affordable, reliable and sufficient energy to drive manufacturing, value addition, employment creation and economic transformation," he said.

 

From minerals to industrial value chains

 

The Africa Mineral Development Centre (AMDC) also underscored the need for Africa to move beyond the extraction and export of raw minerals and develop industries capable of converting its vast natural resources into higher-value products.

 

Interim Director-General of the AMDC, Claudine Sigam, said Africa already possessed many of the mineral resources required to participate meaningfully in the global energy transition.

 

She said the key challenge was to develop the energy, industrial capacity, skills and markets required to transform those resources into materials, competitive enterprises, jobs and sustainable prosperity.

 

"When the global conversation focuses on minerals, Africa must broaden into materials, value chains and markets. Minerals alone does not create industrialization. We need competitive energy to transform minerals into materials, industrial capabilities to transform materials into products, and markets capable of sustaining those industries," she said.

 

Ms Sigam said Africa’s energy, mineral and industrial transformation should therefore be treated as an integrated development agenda aimed at maximising value creation on the continent.

 

The Future of Energy Conference 2026 is being held in Accra on the theme: "Powering Africa’s Industrial Transformation: Energy Systems for Value Addition and Competitiveness".

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

EV boom: Ghana moves to standardise charging infrastructure to protect power grid

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, has called for greater standardisation and regulation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as Ghana prepares for rising electricity demand from the growing adoption of electric mobility.

 

He said the rapid expansion of EVs, coupled with increasing electricity needs from industries, mines, data centres and businesses, requires deliberate planning to prevent pressure on the national power grid.

 

Speaking at the 2026 Future of Energy Conference (FEC) in Accra, Dr Jinapor said the government was working to ensure that the growth of electric mobility was matched by adequate investment in electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.

 

"Our research shows that when you use EV vehicles, you save about 40percent on the cost of fuel alone. So naturally, Ghanaians are opting for EV vehicles," he observed.

 

He said while the transition to electric mobility offered significant economic and environmental benefits, the uncoordinated expansion of charging infrastructure could create new challenges for the electricity distribution system.

 

According to the Minister, Ghana leads the African Market of EV vehicles, noting that some private operators were establishing charging stations using new technologies capable of charging vehicles within 10 to 15 minutes, but such fast-charging systems could draw significant amounts of electricity from the grid.

 

He cautioned that the concentration of high-demand charging facilities without adequate grid planning could put pressure on local distribution networks and transformers.

 

"So what we are saying is that you'd need permission to set up those EV charging stations from the Energy Commission. That gives us the opportunity to reinforce the grid to install more transformers to accommodate the charging stations," he said.

 

The Energy Commission has already directed individuals, companies and institutions intending to install or operate EV charging stations and battery-swap systems to obtain prior approval from the Commission. The directive is intended to ensure that charging infrastructure complies with national safety, technical and operational standards.

 

The Commission has also been developing regulations covering EV charging infrastructure and battery-swap systems, in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority. The proposed framework covers residential, workplace, public and commercial charging infrastructure, as well as safety and consumer protection.

 

Ghana's move towards electric mobility forms part of a broader effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and cut emissions from the transport sector. The Energy Commission's Drive Electric Initiative, launched in 2019, is intended to promote electric mobility while supporting the development of the necessary charging infrastructure.

 

The Commission has also demonstrated the potential of renewable-powered charging infrastructure through a solar-powered DC fast-charging station at its headquarters in Accra. The facility uses 105 solar photovoltaic panels with a combined capacity of 61.43 kilowatts, supported by a 60-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.

 

Reliable power critical to industrialisation

 

Dr Jinapor also stressed that Ghana's industrialisation ambitions would remain difficult to achieve without reliable and competitively priced electricity.

 

He acknowledged no economy has industrialised without cheap power.

 

"You simply cannot industrialise without energy," he stated. "Industrialision requires electricity at scale; not just the electricity buy reliable electricity, predictable tariffs so that industries can plan and good power quality."

 

He said the country's energy planning must therefore anticipate future demand rather than respond only after new loads have emerged.

 

The anticipated growth in electricity consumption is expected to come from several sectors, including manufacturing, mining, electric mobility, digital infrastructure, data centres, commercial businesses and modern agriculture.

 

The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye, said energy policy and industrial policy could not be considered separately if Ghana was serious about adding value to its natural resources.

 

"We have spent considerable time talking about industrailization and adding value to our national resources... but industrial production requires competitive input and energy is one of them the important.

 

"Processing requires energy, manufacturing requires energy, modern agriculture increasingly depend electricity while digital infrastructure depends on reliable power," he noted.

 

Mr Boakye's comments underscore the growing importance of electricity reliability and affordability to Ghana's industrial transformation agenda, particularly as the country seeks to move from the export of raw materials towards domestic processing and value addition.

 

Ghana currently has electricity access for about 89 per cent of its population, according to recent government and development-partner data, with universal access targeted by 2030. The country's National Energy Compact also identifies reliable and affordable electricity as a critical enabler of economic growth and industrial development.

 

The expansion of EVs is therefore expected to add another layer to electricity-demand planning, making investment in generation capacity, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks increasingly important.

 

The government has also encouraged investment in solar-powered EV charging systems as part of efforts to ensure that the transition to electric mobility is aligned with Ghana's clean-energy and climate objectives.

 

The FEC 2026, organised by ACEP, is being held under the theme, “Powering Africa's Industrial Transformation: Energy Systems for Value Addition and Competitiveness.”

 

The conference brings together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, investors and young professionals to deliberate on Africa's energy future and the role of energy systems in driving industrialisation, competitiveness and economic transformation.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Climate Change: AGN calls for a ‘Just Transition’ that addresses Africa’s energy poverty

Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Dr. Richard Muyungi, has called for a ‘Just Transition’ that addresses Africa’s energy poverty.

 

Emphasizing the ‘Africa First’ agenda, he said Africa cannot talk about just transition while over 600 million people in Africa are without access to energy and 900 without clean cooking solutions.

 

“It is for this reason that the inclusion of the Clean Cooking agenda, which is being championed by H.E, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania in the just transition work programme, is key,” he noted.

 

Dr. Muyungi was addressing the first Strategic Meeting of AGN in Zanzibar, under the chairmanship of the United Republic of Tanzania.

 

“I am delighted to note that the African Union, at its last assembly, adopted both the AU declaration on Clean Cooking and the Dar-es-Salaam Declaration on Mission 300 Energy Summit that focuses on providing energy access to at least 300 million people in Africa by 2030. At this meeting, we have resolved to ensure these two important decisions by the AU Assembly are embedded in the Just transition and mitigation work programmes towards Belem and beyond,” added the AGN Chair. 

 

In the context of climate change, a ‘just transition’ refers to a strategy that ensures a fair and equitable transition to a low-carbon economy, minimizing negative impacts on workers and communities while maximizing social and economic opportunities. It aims to balance climate action with social justice, creating decent work, reducing inequalities, and ensuring no one is left behind.

 

At its fourth session, the Conference of Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) decided to establish a work programme on ‘Just Transition’ pathways to advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement.  

 

The decision emphasized that just transition pathways must be based on nationally defined development priorities and include social protection so as to mitigate potential impacts associated with the transition.

 

Other priorities discussed and agreed at the AGN meeting included;

 

-      Finalizing Africa’s approach towards the new round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0), ensuring they are ambitious, equitable, and supported by adequate means of implementation;

 

-      Securing clarity and operationalization of the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance, building upon AU and CAHOSCC relevant guiding decisions and the "Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3 trillion USD by 2035";

 

-      Ensuring decisive progress on adaptation, including the adoption of robust indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation, and tangible progress on National Adaptation Plans;

 

-      Defending Africa’s equity-centered positions in the evolving global climate governance, particularly in loss and damage, technology transfer, just transition work programmes, and transparency frameworks;

 

-      Reaffirming the critical importance of youth and gender inclusion in advancing an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable climate future for the African continent, recognising that youth and women are not only disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change but are also powerful agents of change and innovation in driving transformative climate action; and

 

-      Reaffirming that Africa’s natural wealth presents a transformative opportunity to drive global climate change mitigation while catalysing inclusive, sustainable economic growth across the continent, with particular attention to how Africa’s endowment of 60% of the world’s highest-quality solar potential, significant wind, vast hydropower capacity, could enable Africa to leapfrog into a low-carbon future while contributing meaningfully to global emissions reductions.

 

Meanwhile, the AGN Chair reaffirmed the group’s crucial role in technically advising the African Union’s key institutions notably, the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and Committee of African Heads of State on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), ensuring that Africa's priorities are consistently, coherently, and effectively articulated within the UNFCCC process and beyond. 

 

“Our Group remains the only technical backbone that sustains Africa’s political decisions on climate change,” said Dr. Muyungi. “It is for this reason that this meeting is designed, among other objectives, to address decisions emanating from the February 2025 CAHOSCC meeting in Addis Ababa, and to provide clear technical advice that will guide the African continent throughout this year towards COP30 and beyond.”

 

Generally, the meeting reaffirmed Africa’s unwavering commitment to a unified, science-driven, and justice-centred approach to climate negotiations, emphasising the centrality of adaptation, climate finance, clean energy access, just transition, and institutional strengthening anchored in mandates from the African Union, AMCEN, and CAHOSCC as essential pillars of Africa’s climate agenda. 

 

"Africa’s adaptation and resilience building must remain at the heart of our conversations, both in Africa and globally. Our countries and communities are on the frontlines of climate impacts—yet we have contributed the least to the crisis. Belem must deliver stronger commitments that prioritize the urgent needs of vulnerable communities, protecting livelihoods, ecosystems, and economies,” said Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) Executive Director.

 

He added that “central to this is adaptation finance. It is not enough to promise – finance must flow, and it must be accessible, predictable, adequate and scaled up dramatically. We must demand concrete delivery on the new collective quantified goal on finance. Africa must lead the call for a goal that is not only ambitious but based on real needs, reflecting the scale of the adaptation and mitigation challenges we face.”  

 

African Climate Action Summit 2023: what you need to know

The reality of the climate crisis has dawned on Africa, a continent that has both a stake and interest in solving the climate change challenge.

Over the past decade, storms, wildfires, and floods have resulted in substantial GDP losses. Africa faces severe climate-related challenges, including drought, desertification, and increasing cyclones, leading to displacement, migration, and food crises.

 

With its young population and collective assets in mineral, energy and agricultural resources, Africa has the potential to lead the energy transition and deliver enormous benefits for the region and the rest of the world.

 

The Africa Climate Action Summit 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya will focus on delivering climate-positive growth and finance solutions for Africa and the world.

 

The Summit is a unique platform opportunity for governments, private and multi-sector partners from across Africa, and around the world, to join together in pledging their contributions to urgent climate action.

 

The event falls under four thematic areas: Climate Action Financing, Green Growth Agenda for Africa, Climate Action and Economic Development, and Global Capital Optimization.

 

Three days of climate action

 

The 3-day Summit convened by the Government of Kenya and the African Union will be held during the Africa Climate Week from September 4–8.

 

The Ministerial Day will lead in building the momentum around the Summit, anchoring the discussion on the notion of climate positive growth.

 

Day two will put a spotlight on opportunities for financial viability, business models and tangible progress towards such opportunities.

 

The Nairobi Declaration is expected to be adopted as a call-to-action to end the Summit.

 

The collection of the commitments will set a new Africa-led surge of action against climate change.

 

Africa’s commitment to Climate Action

 

At the Africa Climate Summit, leaders will be called upon to make ambitious pledges and commitments. A comprehensive "Pledging and Commitment Framework" will be developed to guide these actions.

 

The active participation of several stakeholders is necessary to carry out climate action. The corporate sector, civil society, charitable institutions, and local communities all have important contributions to contribute, even while governments and multilateral institutions play a crucial role.

 

The private sector's involvement is essential in raising the required funds, and philanthropies may help initiatives become less risky and foster innovation.

 

Accountability, effectiveness, and a science-based focus on climate action are ensured by civil society, notably women and young people. Local and indigenous communities offer essential insights that help to ensure that equitable and sustainable development routes meet their requirements.

 

There is the chance to stop climate change, not just in Africa but globally, by adopting ambitious ideas and making audacious pledges.

 

To achieve the necessary emissions reduction targets and ensure adequate funding for climate action, a comprehensive global funding mechanism is required.

 

Kenya’s President Ruto advocates for targeted taxes on sectors like aviation and maritime, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies worldwide, and the implementation of a global fossil fuel tax.

 

By harnessing its abundant assets and resources, including renewable energy, critical minerals, agricultural potential, and natural capital, Africa can drive its own green growth and support global renewable energy needs.

 

The continent also offers a range of investment opportunities for global capital to promote decarbonization and local economic development.

 

by Kofi Adu Domfeh

 

The climate crisis is biting and African editors cannot sit aloof

The month of June 2023 has recorded devastating infractions in the weather, with attendant havoc in communities and environments in Africa.

Downpours in various regions have caused severe flooding, leading to submerged homes, destruction of property, displacement of people, and in some instances loss of lives.

 

These are exacerbated by climate change and the impacts point to a crisis.

 

However, there has been a gap in African newsrooms in telling the African climate story and the urgency of the climate crisis.

 

A recent review of how Africa is covered in climate news shows there is a need to elevate Africa’s voice and perspectives in the media as part of driving climate action on the continent.

 

To amplify the voice of Africa in the climate change narrative, the first Africa Editors Climate Forum was convened by the Kenya Editors Guild and Powershift Africa, under the coordination of AfricaonAir.

 

The Forum, held in Nairobi, Kenya brought together editors from parts of the continent to discuss ways to enhance the coverage of climate change issues in African newsrooms.

 

Participants shared experiences and discussed the state of climate change reporting in Africa and challenges newsrooms face, while exploring new opportunities and creative approaches to climate reporting.

 

Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Editors Guild, Rosalia Omungo, said editors who are the gatekeepers have the responsibility to ensure a clear and accurate message is out.

 

“Reporting matters like climate change must adhere to the basic tenets of accuracy and credibility. Credibility goes beyond and goes out of the source of data. Journalists must go beyond the science and reflect humanity,” she stated.

 

She also emphasized the importance of cross-border reporting to enhance the climate narrative across the African continent.

 

Researchers and experts in climate change, energy and sustainable development shared perspectives to help in framing stories to offer solutions in climate change challenges.

 

Kenya’s special envoy for climate change, Ambassador Ali Mohamed, noted that Africa is a victim of climate change and therefore needs support to overcome the impacts of climate change.

 

The African continent emits less than 0.5percent of global carbon emissions but remains the most vulnerable to climate change.

 

In pushing for the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, the envoy said Africa will continue to push for what is legitimate.

 

“We need to take a hard look at the resources we have on our doorstep. Africa has critical mineral potential, land size and immense potential for renewable energy,” said Ambassador Ali.

 

Critical issues of interest in the climate narrative include climate finance, adaptation and mitigation.

 

Programme manager at PowerShift Africa, Fatuma Hussein, called for strong collaboration and engagements between newsrooms and climate scientists to build resilience and drive sustainable development in Africa.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh  

 

Ghana shelves proposed coal power plant, but campaigners raise issues

The government of Ghana has rejected the proposed $1.5 billion coal project to be established in the Ekumfi Aboano District in the country’s central region.

The Volta River Authority (VRA) and Shenzhen Energy Group have been pushing to get a 700MW coal plant up and running from April 2017.

But contrary to public announcements, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mahama Ayariga, says the country has yet to grant permit for the construction of the coal plant.

“Having gone to deposit our instrument of ratification of the Paris Agreement, we will not come back home and be permitting coal plants,” the Minister asserted.

Anti-coal campaigners should be relieved with government’s new position; but they are demanding a Presidential decree to formally and publicly cancel the ambitious coal project and any future fossil fuel plans. 

“Coal has severe health and environmental consequences so much so that developed nations are shying away from it.  Our message is clear: the government should refrain from the coal fallacy once and for all and instead redirect its focus on renewable energy sources,” said Chibeze Ezekiel, 350.org Ghana anti-coal campaigner.

High-level officials struggled to justify the proposed coal plant when it came about in 2013, during the country's worst energy crises. 

The coal power project was intended to contribute to addressing the power generation shortfall in Ghana to meet domestic and industrial demands.

But opposition to the coal option described the proposal as the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Anti-coal campaigners argued for the protection of the environment without compromising on the health of the people and the integrity of the ecosystems.    

The coal plant would have contradicted Ghana’s ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change last August in the pursuit of sustainable development and attaining clean energy goals in line with Ghana’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (GH-INDC). 

The Paris agreement, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, comes into effect in November, just before the Conference of Parties (COP22) taking place in Marrakesh, Morocco.

“There is no future in fossil fuel investments. The world urgently needs a just transition to 100% renewable energy with universal access across the globe,” said Landry Nintereste, 350Africa Regional Team Leader. “The African continent is well positioned to take the lead, refuse energy models that aggravate climate chaos and compromises it renewable development path”.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

Citizens energy manifesto to engage political attention in Ghana

Political parties going into Ghana’s 2016 General Election will need to prioritize issues of energy if they are to get the mandate of the electorates to govern.

That is the consensus of a forum on the ‘Citizen Agenda for Energy Sector Development’ held in Kumasi, which attracted industry players, civil society groups, students and the media.

Ghana’s power crisis has over the past five years damaged the country’s economic growth prospects – businesses have collapsed, jobs lost and livelihoods negatively impacted.

Meanwhile, petroleum exploration in the past three-and-half years has generated some Gh3.5billion in revenue, and more revenue is expected with the coming of stream of the TEN and Sankofa projects.

Yet there have been concerns about the prudent management and investment of revenue from the oil and gas sector.

As electioneering 2016 heats up, energy will be an important area of interest, observed Seji Saji of the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP).

“The petroleum sector of our country has become so intertwined with our national lives that the wishes of our people will be unfulfilled if we do not make energy an important issue in this year’s election,” he stated.

ACEP, with support from the Ghana Oil and Gas for Inclusive Growth (GOGIG), has therefore set forth a process to engage the public on priority areas in the power and petroleum sectors to inform political parties’ manifestoes in Election 2016.

The discussions to collate public inputs, taking place in the Northern, Ashanti and Western regions, will form the basis of the Citizen’s Energy Manifesto.

Some participants of the citizens’ forum in Kumasi said they will be interested in knowing the management and investments of oil revenue as well as plans of the various political parties to deal with the power crisis.

President of the Ghana Association of Energy Economics, Joshua Sarpong Kumankumah, is interested in seeing some of the energy levies removed on petroleum products as soon as possible.

“I also think our political parties must be bold enough and have in their manifestoes to protect the interest of the energy sector by ensuring that it is not privatized; as it happened to SIC and as it happened to GOIL, I think government can float shares for Ghanaians to own ECG,” he said.

Acting Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Eric Amoadu-Boateng, said the Union continues to oppose the privatization of state-owned enterprises, including the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

He said recent past experience in the water sector demands caution in the government’s move for private sector involvement in the distribution of power.

“We must be guided by history,” said Mr. Amoadu-Boateng. “It appears that the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA) is unduly influencing the debate; it’s about time that issues of national sovereignty are decided by the people and not Washington-influenced technocrats”.

Head of Policy Unit at ACEP, Dr. Ishmael Ackah, said the ‘Citizen Agenda for Energy Sector Development’ project will serve as an instrument for building political consensus of policies in the energy sector.

The “Citizens Energy Manifesto” will be presented to presidential candidates of political parties, who will be expected to declare their commitments to the citizens’ energy agenda.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh