Ghana: Jinapor Urges Africa To Expand Solar Manufacturing And Skills Training

Ghana’s Energy and Green Transition Minister Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor has urged African countries to go beyond deploying solar systems by manufacturing solar equipment and building local supply chains.

Speaking on the theme “Global Solar: Then, Now and Next” at the ninth session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly in India, Jinapor said Africa’s drive to strengthen energy security through solar power must extend beyond installation.

“This will require technology transfer, local industrial capacity and, critically, affordable long-term financing,” Jinapor said.

He said recent disruptions in global energy markets had underscored the risks of excessive dependence on imported fuels.

Solar energy offered Africa a pathway to strengthening energy security, reducing dependence on imports and building resilient economies, he said.

However, he cautioned that the continent should also become a producer of solar technology.

Jinapor said Ghana was advancing this agenda by installing solar streetlights, promoting rooftop solar and implementing policies to switch critical public facilities to solar power.

Ghana has more than 150 megawatts of utility-scale and floating solar capacity connected to the national grid, alongside off-grid solar systems supplying electricity to island communities, he said.

“Our abundant sunshine must become a catalyst for industrialisation, job creation, economic resilience and energy sovereignty,” Jinapor said.