By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The Board of
the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has held discussions with the Speaker of
Parliament, Alban Bagbin, as part of efforts to strengthen engagement with key
national stakeholders and deepen collaboration on Ghana’s energy infrastructure
agenda.
The
eight-member board paid a courtesy call on the Speaker to brief him on
developments within the company and formally introduce the Board Chair, Kuukua
Maurice Ankrah. The meeting formed part of the board’s broader stakeholder
engagement programme following its inauguration in August 2025.
Speaking during
the engagement, GRIDCo’s Chief Executive, Ing. Frank Asirifi Otchere, outlined
ongoing restoration works following the recent fire incident at Akosombo and
disclosed plans to establish a permanent state-of-the-art control room to
strengthen operational resilience. He also highlighted operational challenges
facing the company, including the impact of illegal chainsaw activities and
illegal mining operations on transmission infrastructure.
“For me, it was
eye-opening listening to the Speaker share the history behind GRIDCo and the
energy sector. It was clear he has been deeply involved from the beginning,”
Ing. Otchere said on the sidelines of the meeting.
“We believe
this engagement will deepen collaboration with Parliament as we work to
strengthen Ghana’s power infrastructure and support economic growth.” On energy
financing and tariff discussions, he stressed the need for sustained investment
in the power sector to support industrialisation and long-term economic
development. “Ghana’s economic growth is tied to reliable power supply. To grow
the economy, we must continue investing in the energy sector,” he added.
Board Chair
Kuukua Maurice Ankrah said the current board brought together a strong blend of
expertise and experience, adding that the response to the Akosombo incident had
demonstrated the technical capacity within GRIDCo. She also called for greater
female representation in leadership positions, noting that she was currently
the only woman on the board.
“We the board
are positioned to lead management in the transformation of GRIDCo. The recent
fire outbreak and our swift and efficient response is testament to what is
achievable with the right support. I strongly believe that with greater female
representation in leadership positions across various sectors of the economy,
Ghana’s progress is more than guaranteed. Mr. Speaker, I am the only female
board chair in all the agencies and institutions under the Energy Ministry. We
need to improve upon that,” she said.
Speaker Bagbin
underscored the importance of energy security to Ghana’s economic stability and
industrial ambitions, urging GRIDCo to position itself for rising demand driven
by industrialisation. He encouraged the company to expand public education on electricity
consumption and energy efficiency while leveraging its assets to support
recapitalisation and infrastructure expansion.
The Speaker
also called for stronger implementation of the Affirmative Action and Gender
Equity framework to increase women’s participation in leadership. He further
disclosed that Parliament was exploring opportunities in solar energy
deployment and welcomed GRIDCo’s technical support in that effort.
The engagement
reflects growing attention on the resilience of Ghana’s power infrastructure as
policymakers and energy sector leaders seek to secure stable electricity supply
to support industrial growth, attract investment and sustain economic activity.
