Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has called on African countries to seize the continent’s vast solar potential as both an environmental imperative and a socio-economic opportunity.
Speaking as Chair of the Seventh Meeting of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Regional Committee for Africa in Accra, Mr. Jinapor said advancing Africa’s energy transition was central to sustainable growth and shared prosperity.
“Expanding solar capacity is not only an environmental necessity but also a significant socio-economic opportunity. About 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity. Africa represents 17% of the world’s population, yet consumes just 4% of the world’s energy. Bridging this gap is our collective opportunity,” he said.
The Minister emphasised the importance of transforming pipeline projects into bankable ones, lowering risk premiums, and attracting private capital to accelerate access.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with every member state to ensure national energy aspirations translate into financed projects on the ground.
The two-day meeting, which brought together ministers, policymakers, financiers, and technical experts, also highlighted partnerships and initiatives to scale solar deployment across Africa. These included the signing of Country Partnership Frameworks by Ghana, Nigeria, and The Gambia, a cooperation agreement with the African School of Regulation, and the launch of ISA’s Africa Solar Facility to unlock private capital for renewable energy.
Other speakers reinforced Jinapor’s message. Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, stressed that economic growth must be anchored on clean, reliable, and sustainable energy.
On her part, Ms. Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All, described solar as the fastest and least-cost pathway to reach Africa’s underserved, urging governments to streamline regulations to unlock private participation.
France’s Ambassador to Ghana, Jules Armand Beaussieux, and India’s High Commissioner, Manish Gupta, pledged continued support to Africa’s energy transition, while ISA Director General Ashish Khanna emphasised that access to energy was a fundamental human right, calling for stronger implementation partnerships.
The meeting, hosted in Accra, marked a milestone in aligning Africa’s solar ambitions with actionable strategies to close the continent’s energy access gap and accelerate climate-resilient growth.
