The Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Richard Gyan Mensah, has challenged students across the country to develop innovative and practical renewable energy solutions that can help address Ghana’s energy and environmental challenges while supporting the nation’s transition to a 24-hour green economy.
He said young people had a critical role to play in shaping the country’s energy future and urged them to design projects that were technically feasible, financially viable and socially impactful.
“As a nation, we must seize the opportunities presented by renewable energy and emerging technologies. We want students to develop solutions that address real challenges and contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.
The Deputy Energy Minister made the call at the launch of the seventh edition of the Energy Commission’s Senior High Schools Renewable Energy Challenge, dubbed “Champions of Champions”, in Accra.
The competition, which is being held on the theme: “Harnessing Renewable Energy to Power Ghana’s 24-Hour Green Economy”, will see 17 senior high schools (SHSs) from across the country compete in zonal contests, with six schools progressing to the national grand finale in Accra.
Mr Mensah said the challenge had become an important platform for nurturing innovation and encouraging students to apply science and technology to solve pressing national problems.
He said the competition was not merely about winning awards but about developing technologies and solutions that could improve lives.
Platform for innovation
The Deputy Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Chris Nanabanyin Yalley, said the Renewable Energy Challenge had evolved beyond a competition into a national platform for nurturing future leaders and innovators in Ghana’s energy sector.
He explained that the programme provided students with practical exposure to renewable energy technologies while encouraging them to develop innovative solutions to energy and environmental challenges.
Opportunities for youth
The Chief of Partnerships and Investment at the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat, Dr Ishmael Nii Amarnor Doodo, encouraged students to prepare themselves for careers that would emerge from the global shift towards green economies.
He said opportunities would increasingly be available in renewable energy, engineering, technology, manufacturing, research and entrepreneurship.
Investing in the future
The Director of STEM Education of the Ghana Education Service, Olivia Serwaa Opare, underscored the need to invest in education, innovation and clean energy infrastructure to ensure inclusive national development.
She said sustainable energy was critical to improving health care, education, industrial productivity and the integration of underserved communities into the national economy.
Competition format
Schools will first compete at the zonal level, with the six best-performing schools advancing to the national grand finale in Accra.
The eventual winners will earn the coveted “Champion of Champions” title.
