Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has said the country is prepared to supply electricity to Nigeria as it seeks to strengthen its position as an energy hub in West Africa.
Ghana already exports electricity to Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso through the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), whose transmission network is interconnected with the neighbouring countries.
Jinapor said Nigeria could become Ghana’s next major electricity market, although expanding transmission infrastructure would be necessary to support increased cross-border power trade.
Speaking at a public event on August 21, 2026, the minister said Ghana’s objective was to develop sufficient generation and transmission capacity to satisfy domestic demand while supplying electricity to neighbouring countries.
“So clearly, this falls in line with our vision, and we believe that if we can achieve this, Ghana can become an energy hub for the whole of the West African region in the shortest possible time,” he added.
Jinapor also outlined Ghana’s long-term energy strategy, which combines natural gas, renewable energy and nuclear power. He said the approach would provide the reliable electricity required to support President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy initiative, which seeks to encourage businesses and industries to operate for longer hours.
The minister identified nuclear power, alongside gas and renewables, as important to providing the consistent electricity supply required for sustained industrial activity.
Meanwhile, Nigeria is exploring alternative energy sources to meet rising electricity demand, including the conversion of cassava wastewater into biogas.
The proposed approach would turn cassava processing waste into a source of renewable energy while addressing environmental problems caused by untreated effluent discharged around processing centres.
Cassava wastewater can contaminate nearby streams and other water bodies when improperly disposed of, but its biodegradable content can also be used as feedstock for biogas production.
Prof. Taiwo Hammed, an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Technical Director of the Renewable Resources Centre at the University of Ibadan, discussed the potential during a U.S.-Nigeria Transdisciplinary Workshop titled “From Cassava Effluent to Energy.”
Hammed said cassava wastewater could be used for biogas production when properly managed, noting that its effectiveness depends on factors including the type and quantity of feedstock, retention time, temperature and the nutrient balance needed by microorganisms to break down organic matter.
