The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s hydropower generation company, Volta River Authority (VRA) Mr Emmanuel Antwi- Darkwa, and CEO of the AI Group, Mrs. Abigail Asolange Harlley have interacted with students of West Africa Senior High School (WASS) in a bid to inspire them to aspire higher in life.
The two energy personalities of the year 2018 shared their life experiences with the students who numbered about 500 on Thursday, October 3, 2019, under the Energy Personality Outreach Programme organised by the Ghana Energy Awards.
They urged the students to have a clear vision of their future and work tirelessly to achieve their ambition.
CEO of VRA and Energy Personality of the year told the students that during his academic life, he had wished to be a pilot, but said circumstances at that time made it impossible for him to achieve that vision.
He said he later got admission to pursue engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), saying he has never regretted doing engineering.
He said it was necessary for the students to give critical thought to what they want to do in future, particularly at their young age and the kind of impact they want to make in society.
This, he said, would help them stay committed and focused on that vision.
Mrs. Abigail Asolange Harlley, the Chief Executive of AI Group and the Female Energy Personality of the Year, encouraged the students to have ambitions that reflect their passion and contribute to problem-solving in the community.
Sharing personal examples, Mrs Harlley stressed the essence of research in their desired career areas to help them gain appreciable understanding of that sector and better prepare themselves for any window of opportunity they identify.
Dr Kwame Ampofo, Chairman of the Awarding Panel of the Ghana Energy Awards, noted that a special feature of the Ghana Energy Awards is to organise an outreach programme for the winners of the coveted Energy Personality of the Year awards.
He said the objective of the programme is for “the personalities to share their rare experiences with the youth of the country, especially at the second-cycle level so that their knowledge and business acumen will be impacted to the leaders of tomorrow.”
This, he added, is to ensure sustained growth of the industry.
Ing. Henry Teinor, Director of the Awards, said the programme is also to inspire the younger generation to aspire to become the best they can be, and especially develop an interest in the energy sector, which is a critical contributor to Ghana’s economy.
Last year, the Achimota School hosted the first event of EPOP with the 2017 Energy Personalities Dr Alfred Ofosu-Ahenkorah, Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, and Madam Kate Quartey-Papafio, Chief Executive of Reroy Group.
Profiles
Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, the Energy Personality of the Year 2018 (Male category), is a Civil Engineer with over thirty years’ experience in Ghana’s energy sector.
His expertise are spanning functional and infrastructural developments, regulatory influences in the country’s energy sector, and the dynamics of international power systems development.
He is currently the Chief Executive of the VRA where he began his career in 1985.
The female Energy Personality of the Year (Female category), Mrs. Abigail Asolange Harlley, is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of AI Energy Group.
She has over two decades of leadership and business management experience gained from Ghana’s financial sector, governmental and non-governmental authorities and international organisations.
She has served in various management capacities including credit administration, industrial management and business development.
Ghana Energy Awards
The Ghana Energy Awards Scheme is an industry-owned initiative being executed in partnership with the various government regulating agencies within the sector, and seeks to recognise and appreciate the exemplary efforts of stakeholders in Ghana’s energy sector.
It is organised by the Energy Media Group in partnership with CH Business Consulting Ghana.
