Vice President urges long term planning for energy sector, cautions against policy rhetoric
Vice President Dr Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang has called on the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition to place discipline and long-term planning at the centre of efforts to stabilise Ghana’s energy sector, warning against policy language which does not translate into results for consumers.
She made the call during an official working visit to the ministry on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
Dr Opoku Agyemang said lasting solutions in the energy sector would depend on steady planning, openness to reviewing strategies, and decisions grounded in outcomes rather than slogans.
Addressing senior officials, agency heads and the media, the Vice President acknowledged recent improvements in the management of energy sector debts and the gradual return of confidence among suppliers and service providers. She said those developments were beginning to reflect in the wider economy.
“We had huge debts. We were in a situation and it wasn’t an amusing situation at all,” she said. She added that improved efficiency in meeting obligations was helping players along the energy value chain see value in their investments.
The Vice President said progress achieved so far would only be sustained through deliberate planning over an extended period. She cautioned against reliance on what she described as attractive policy language which fails to deliver.
“Solid planning, not fancy words and so on, which sometimes don’t send us where we need to be,” she said, noting that government must be ready to revise approaches when policies fall short.
Dr Opoku Agyemang said policy choices must work for the wider population, especially consumers.
She assured the ministry of political backing, saying support would remain in place during both progress and difficulty. She said such backing was needed to sustain reform efforts and achieve lasting improvements.
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, welcomed the Vice President’s visit and said the ministry would continue reforms under the direction of the President and the Vice President. He expressed confidence that ongoing initiatives would yield steady gains.
Dr Opoku Agyemang ended her remarks by recognising the work of officials and workers across the energy sector, including those not present at the engagement. She said their efforts were helping to rebuild public trust.
She urged continued coordination among agencies and said planning and accountability remained central to delivering a reliable and efficient energy sector for the country.
