The Secretariat of the prestigious Ghana Energy Awards (GEA) has officially announced the shortlisted nominees for the 2026 edition of the Awards, marking a significant milestone in the scheme’s 10-year journey of recognising excellence, innovation and outstanding contributions to Ghana’s energy sector.
The 2026 nomination cycle recorded a record-breaking response, attracting more than 600 submissions between 30th September and 30th October 2026, representing the highest number of entries received in the history of the Awards.
The remarkable response, which included a significant number of first-time entrants, particularly from the private sector, underscores the growing recognition and industry-wide acceptance of the Ghana Energy Awards.
Following a rigorous assessment and verification process, the submissions were evaluated across 30 competitive categories, culminating in the announcement of the shortlisted nominees.
The 2026 edition features 30 competitive categories spanning Ghana’s power and petroleum subsectors.
The categories include Energy Personality of the Year, CEO of the Year, Energy Icon of the Decade, Visionary Leadership Award, Energy Company of the Year, Upstream Company of the Year, Downstream Company of the Year, Private Sector Impact Leadership Award, Rising Star, and Energy Reporter of the Year, among others.
Collectively, the categories provide a platform to recognise the individuals, companies and institutions whose leadership, innovation and commitment continue to shape the country’s energy landscape.
Following the announcement of the shortlisted nominees, the next phase of the Awards will involve a rigorous assessment process, including site visits to selected nominees.
The Awarding Panel will be supported by a Technical Team of Experts throughout this process to facilitate the assessment and verification of submissions. Upon completion of these activities, the Awarding Panel will undertake its independent scoring to determine the final winners.
The 10th Anniversary Edition will be celebrated under the theme: “Consolidating Ghana’s Energy Sector Gains: A Decade of Excellence, A Future of Sustainable Energy.”
The theme reflects on a decade of progress, innovation and institutional development within Ghana’s energy sector, while underscoring the need to consolidate these achievements and accelerate the transition towards a resilient and sustainable energy future.
Anticipation is now building towards the much-awaited Awards Night, scheduled for Friday, 27th November 2026, at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.
The landmark celebration is expected to attract key policymakers, regulators, chief executives, industry leaders, technical experts and innovators for an evening dedicated to recognising outstanding performance, celebrating industry excellence and honouring transformational leadership across Ghana’s energy value chain.
For sponsorship opportunities, event tickets and further enquiries, kindly contact the Awards Secretariat on 055 930 0631 or via email at [email protected].
Find below the full list of shortlisted nominees for the 10th Ghana Energy Awards:
Ghana’s government is expected to announce a gas and condensate discovery by Planet One Oil & Gas Limited at the Nya Gyidie-1X exploration well in the Deepwater Cape Three Points block off Ghana’s coast, sources told Energy News Africa.
President John Dramani Mahama is likely to make the announcement in Takoradi, the sources said. An estimate of the size of the discovery was not immediately available.
Planet One, which operates the block, began drilling the well in October. It had outlined its drilling plans at Africa Oil Week 2026 in Accra.
“Planet One has done the work. We’ve matured the opportunity; we’ve secured the rig. Now we are ready to drill,” Doreen Addotei, the company’s lead geoscientist, said at the conference.
Planet One acquired its interest in the block through a 2023 farm-in agreement with GOIL Upstream Limited after ExxonMobil relinquished its interest.
Planet One holds a 75% stake in the block, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation holds 15% and GOIL Upstream holds 10%.
Planet One is a wholly owned subsidiary of Planet One Group, which is owned by businessman Sanjeev Mansotra.
The drilling campaign is expected to provide additional data to help assess the block’s oil and gas potential.
South Sudan’s Juba Electricity Distribution Company (JEDCO) said it would ration power across its service areas for 30 days from Tuesday, November 10, while it shuts down its power plant for a major overhaul.
The shutdown will reduce the amount of electricity available to customers, JEDCO said in a statement.
The company said the work was necessary to improve the reliability and efficiency of power generation.
Customers may face scheduled outages during the overhaul.
JEDCO said it would follow an approved schedule to distribute the available power fairly across the areas it serves.
The company urged customers to plan ahead, apologised for the inconvenience and thanked them for their cooperation.
Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) announced on Thursday that its governing board had approved the Consumer and Public Complaints Procedure Guidelines.
The announcement came as the NPA concluded its 2026 Consumer Week at Kasoa Ofaakor Park in the Central Region under the theme “Safe Downstream, Confident Consumers.”
NPA Chief Executive Godwin Kudzo Tameklo announced the approval and urged the public to stay away from fuel tankers involved in crashes.
He warned that people who rush to siphon fuel risk serious injury or death if the tanker explodes. Siphoning fuel is illegal, he added, and offenders could face prosecution.
In a keynote address delivered on his behalf, Energy and Green Transition Minister Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor acknowledged that consumers had faced a difficult year at the pumps.
He attributed higher fuel costs to the conflict in the Middle East, disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and a slight weakening of the cedi in the third quarter.
Jinapor said the government absorbed GH¢2 per litre of the cost of diesel in August and extended the relief into September.
He added that Tema Oil Refinery and Sentuo Oil continued to supply marketers at existing prices when a sharp price increase loomed in October.
Phyllis Naa Koryoo Okunor, the MP for Awutu Senya East, said the industry must put safety first to earn consumers’ confidence.
Ghanaian music duo DopeNation and gospel musician Perez Muzik got the crowd cheering with their performances. The entertainment also included a dance competition for students.
Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has warned the public against rushing to siphon fuel from tankers involved in crashes, saying an explosion could kill or seriously injure those who gather at the scene.
NPA Chief Executive Godwin Kudzo Tameklo said on Thursday that siphoning fuel from crashed tankers was illegal and that offenders could face prosecution.
Tameklo spoke at the closing ceremony of the NPA’s 2026 Consumer Week at Kasoa Ofaakor Park in the Central Region. The theme was “Safe Downstream, Confident Consumers.”
In a keynote address delivered on his behalf, Energy and Green Transition Minister Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor said consumers had faced a difficult year at the pumps.
He attributed higher fuel costs to conflict in the Middle East, disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and a slightly weaker cedi in the third quarter.
Jinapor said the government covered GH¢2 of the cost of each litre of diesel in August and extended the relief into September. When prices looked set to rise sharply in October, Tema Oil Refinery and Sentuo Oil continued to supply fuel marketers at the previous prices, he said.
Phyllis Naa Koryoo Okunor, the member of parliament for Awutu Senya East, said the petroleum industry had to put safety first to earn consumers’ confidence.
Ghanaian music duo DopeNation and gospel musician Perez Muzik performed at the ceremony, which also featured a dance competition for students.
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said on Monday that recent electricity supply disruptions in parts of the country had been resolved, assuring consumers that the government was working to maintain grid stability.
Tegbe said on November 7 that planned maintenance at the Egbin power station, gas supply constraints and the sabotage of transmission lines had contributed to power outages in four states, including Lagos and Kwara, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said the maintenance work at Egbin and limited gas supplies to some thermal power plants had reduced the amount of electricity available on the national grid.
Speaking on the TVC programme on Monday, Tegbe said the disruptions had been addressed and the planned maintenance completed.
“Number one, we’ve sorted out this little challenge we had in the last few days. It was painful for most of you. But look, we fixed it. And we will ensure that that stability remains. My focus is to ensure grid stability,” he said.
Addressing outages in the Lagos corridor, the minister said electricity had been restored to several areas by Sunday night.
“I’m sure in Lagos, I confirm as at last night because I made personal calls, Ajah, Lekki, Ikoyi, Magodo, Ikeja, lights are back,” he said.
“People have attested to it, people have sent me messages. Nigerians, again, I appeal to you, just bear with us, we’ll get there.”
Tegbe also said Nigeria could achieve a more stable electricity supply within the next three to five years, citing plans to strengthen the country’s power infrastructure and expand grid capacity.
“Honestly speaking, you already see some visible improvement despite the challenge we have had. By the time we fix the grid… I’ll look at the horizon of about three to five years from now,” he said.
“Infrastructure build-out is not done overnight. Even when we fix some of the challenges, we have today, we need to build the capacity.
“Everybody’s building capacity for AI, for data. Most young people work from home, and because of that, there’s a need for bandwidth and for electricity supply.”
The minister said the federal government was planning to invest $2 billion in an east-west super grid to strengthen the country’s electricity transmission network and increase its capacity to 19,000 megawatts.
He said the proposed transmission network would complement existing infrastructure rather than replace it, improving the resilience and stability of the national grid.
The project would traverse the country, linking Funtua, Gwagwalada, Ikot Ekpene, Benin, Epe and Ilorin, Tegbe said.
The government has begun the procurement process for the project, which could be completed within two years, he added.
Tegbe said the initiative was expected to increase grid capacity from about 4,000 megawatts to 19,000 megawatts.
He also said the government expected private-sector participation in electricity transmission within the next two to three years.
“So give me a time horizon of three to five years. Nigeria will enjoy stable life. And as demand improves, it will get better,” he said.
Tegbe said the government’s immediate priority was to optimise existing electricity infrastructure to improve the reliability of power supply.
He appealed to Nigerians to be patient, acknowledging the difficulties households and businesses face because of inadequate electricity supply.
Liberian President Joseph N. Boakai Sr. over the weekend broke ground on the Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount Counties Electrification Expansion Project, which will connect Bopolu City, the capital of Gbarpolu County, as well as Lofa Bridge, Sawmill, and Kinjor in Grand Cape Mount County, to the national electricity grid.
The project, being implemented by the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), will extend a 33 kV distribution line from Tubmanburg to Bopolu City, providing electricity to towns along the route.
It will also extend the national grid to Kinjor and communities along the Kinjor corridor in Grand Cape Mount County, with an additional line running from Sawmill in Gbarpolu County to Lofa Bridge in Grand Cape Mount County.
LEC will construct approximately 101 kilometres of 33 kV primary overhead distribution lines and 86 kilometres of 0.4 kV secondary distribution lines. The project is expected to serve 18 towns and 7,033 households, as well as schools, clinics, and businesses, including Emirates Hospital.
The project is being financed entirely through LEC’s own resources and will be implemented by 12 Liberian contractors across 14 contract lots.
Managing Director of LEC Mohammed M. Sherif.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, LEC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mohammed M. Sherif described the project as a promise fulfilled.
“Today, we are not cutting a ribbon on something finished. We are breaking ground on a promise.
“This is a Liberian project: Liberian money, Liberian hands, Liberian light,” he said.
The project is expected to unlock new economic opportunities across both corridors, including agro-processing and cold storage facilities for farmers, small-scale manufacturing and workshops, value addition in the mining sector, fish storage and ice production, as well as tourism and hospitality development around Grand Cape Mount County’s lakes, beaches, and forests.
The expansion is also expected to facilitate the growth of banking, mobile money, and digital services.
Reliable electricity supply will further strengthen healthcare delivery, educational services, and county administration while creating an enabling environment for investment, job creation, and sustainable economic development.
“For years, when we asked why the factory was not built, why the harvest was sold raw, and why the investor went elsewhere, the answer was always the same: there is no electricity,” Mr. Sherif said.
“From today, that excuse begins to disappear. Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount are open for business.”
Mr. Sherif further emphasised that the arrival of electricity also places a responsibility on LEC and the Government to ensure a reliable power supply, facilitate timely customer connections, and deliver quality services to beneficiary communities.
“The grid and the mini-grid are not rivals; they are partners in the same mission,” Mr. Sherif said.
He noted that LEC would collaborate with Energicity and the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) to ensure that both electricity supply systems complement each other and provide improved services to customers in Gbarpolu County.
LEC currently serves more than 400,000 customers and adds approximately 15,000 new electricity connections every quarter.
The national grid now extends to towns and communities in Nimba, Bong, Rivercess, Grand Bassa, Maryland, Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Grand Cape Mount, Bomi, and Margibi Counties.
The African Development Bank (AfDB), a co-leader of Mission 300, was particularly recognised for financing the regional Côte d’Ivoire–Liberia–Sierra Leone–Guinea (CLSG) electricity interconnection project and its continued support for rural electrification and last-mile electricity access.
QatarEnergy has signed an agreement to acquire a stake in an offshore exploration licence off the coast of Namibia, currently held by Chevron Exploration Company, a subsidiary of Chevron, the company announced.
The agreement is subject to customary regulatory and other formal approvals.
Upon completion of the transaction, QatarEnergy will acquire a 25% stake in the PEL82 exploration licence, which includes the 2112B and 2212A fields.
Chevron, which operates the licence, will retain a 55% stake, while Namibia’s state-owned oil company, Namcor, and Custos Energy will each retain a 10% stake.
QatarEnergy’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Deputy Chairman and CEO, Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi, said the agreement would strengthen the company’s relationship with Chevron and expand and diversify its presence in Namibia.
“We would like to thank the Namibian authorities for their cooperation and support. We look forward to working with our partners to advance exploration activities and achieve positive results that benefit all parties involved,” he said.
The PEL82 exploration licence covers an area of approximately 11,444 square kilometres in offshore Namibian waters, with water depths ranging from 350 metres to 2,300 metres.
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured residents of Lagos, Abuja, Kwara and other areas experiencing outages of improved electricity supply within the next 48 to 72 hours.
In an update on the power situation, Tegbe said his team was working to restore affected generating units to service in phases, with the first set expected back online within that period.
He acknowledged the difficulties the outages have caused households and businesses in the affected areas, including Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to Tegbe, planned maintenance at Egbin Power Station and gas supply constraints at some thermal power stations have reduced the amount of electricity available on the national grid.
Grid operators have consequently introduced load shedding in some areas to manage the shortfall, he said.
Tegbe said sabotage of key transmission lines had also limited the use of alternative routes to supply electricity to some locations, particularly Lagos.
He added that the ministry was working with operators to improve gas supply and accelerate repairs to damaged infrastructure.
Residents of the affected areas have taken to social media to express their frustration, with some accusing the minister of failing to fulfil his responsibilities.
Ghana Grid Company Ltd. (GRIDCo) has assured residents of Kumasi and northern Ghana of improved power supply by December, when ongoing infrastructure upgrades are expected to be completed.
GRIDCo Chief Executive Frank Asirifi Otchere gave the assurance during a briefing to the Ashanti Regional Minister on projects aimed at improving electricity supply in Greater Kumasi.
“We intended to improve and expand the capacity of our existing infrastructure to serve Kumasi and the rest of the nation. There is a lot of demand in the north of Ghana and most of that power comes through Kumasi to go to the north,” he said.
As part of the upgrades, Otchere said GRIDCo had replaced a 66 MVA transformer at the Ridge substation with a larger 145 MVA unit, which had been in service since June.
He said the company was also adding a fifth feeder to the existing four supplying the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
GRIDCo is upgrading the Kumasi–Anwomaso transmission line, including the Anwomaso-to-Ridge section, to increase its capacity from about 360 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts.
Work on the line is expected to be completed by the end of November.
Otchere said the contractor had dismantled the old conductor and towers, completed new foundations and installed replacement towers. Work was now focused on stringing the new conductor.
He explained that the higher-capacity line required new towers to support the additional weight.
“We have engaged the contractor and given them the support to make sure that by the end of November they have to complete. When it is completed, we are expecting to see increased capacity to serve demand in Kumasi,” he said.
The upgrades are expected to improve grid reliability, accommodate growing residential and industrial demand, and ease concerns over persistent outages in the region.
“What we want to say is that all the projects are important, but these ones are critical. We cannot wait to complete them. That is why we have prioritised these projects to ensure they are all completed by December,” he said.
In December 2025, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition assured residents of Kumasi and the wider Ashanti Region of improved power supply following the addition of generation capacity linked to the AKSA Energy project at Anwomaso.
The ministry also apologised for outages that had plunged parts of the region into darkness.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will begin a nationwide revenue mobilisation exercise on Monday, November 9, to recover unpaid electricity bills, a company official has said.
The exercise, which will run until Friday, November 27, 2026, will cover all categories of customers with arrears, including residential, commercial and industrial customers, as well as ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Dr Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku, ECG’s General Manager for External Communications, announced the exercise on behalf of the company.
He urged customers with outstanding bills to settle them to avoid disconnection and additional reconnection fees.
He said the exercise was aimed at improving revenue collection and strengthening the company’s financial position, adding that prompt payment supports ECG’s operations and electricity service delivery.
Dr Ayiku said special teams would monitor the exercise to identify illegal connections, interference with the exercise and unauthorised reconnections after disconnection. Customers found engaging in such activities could face arrest and prosecution, he warned.
Customers who are unable to access their bills should visit the nearest ECG office for assistance, he said.
He encouraged customers to use their usual payment channels, particularly the ECG Mobile App, which is available on the Google Play Store. Customers requiring assistance can call the ECG Contact Centre on 0302 611611 or contact the company through its social media channels.
Dr Ayiku said ECG remained committed to providing reliable electricity services. He appealed to customers with arrears to honour their payment obligations and cooperate with ECG staff during the exercise.
Customers’ support would help the company improve its services, he added.
Malawi has launched a net-metering programme allowing households, businesses and industries generating electricity from renewable sources to feed surplus power into the national grid, as the country seeks to address inadequate electricity supply.
Energy Minister Dr. Jean Chifuniro Mathanga launched the rules governing the programme on Wednesday at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, urging eligible consumers to participate.
The framework allows consumers with renewable energy systems, particularly solar installations, to use the electricity they generate and export surplus power to the grid through bidirectional meters.
“Despite the progress made in expanding our generation capacity, electricity supply remains inadequate to meet the country’s growing demand. We must, therefore, explore innovative and complementary approaches to increase electricity generation and improve access to reliable power,” Mathanga said.
She said 34 customers had been identified as eligible to connect to the grid during the programme’s pilot phase, with nine already connected.
The 34 customers have the potential to supply a combined 3.9 megawatts to the grid, providing an initial contribution that could grow as participation expands.
Secretary for Energy Elvis Thodi said the framework would enable consumers to help address the country’s electricity supply challenges by providing surplus power to serve schools, hospitals, businesses and homes.
Mathanga thanked the United Nations Development Programme for supporting the development of the rules.
She urged consumers generating surplus renewable electricity to work with the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) to participate in the programme.
She also called on ESCOM to install bidirectional meters and connect applicants who meet the requirements without delay.
A 39-year-old scrap dealer, Amon Nkhata, sustained serious injuries after suffering an electric shock while allegedly attempting to vandalise an Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) transformer at St. John of God in Chibanja, Mzuzu, on Thursday, 5 November 2026.
According to ESCOM, Nkhata was found trapped inside the transformer cage after allegedly attempting to cut an electrical cable.
The power utility said he sustained severe injuries to one hand and one leg and was taken to Mzuzu Central Hospital by police.
Police are investigating the incident.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure in Malawi.
Energy Minister Dr Jean Chifuniro Mathanga recently told Parliament that at least 100 areas had reported cases of stolen or damaged electricity equipment. She described the vandalism as a major setback to the government’s efforts to expand electricity access.
Mathanga said the ministry was working with law enforcement agencies, local leaders and communities to strengthen surveillance and encourage the reporting of suspected offenders.
ESCOM board member Welford Sabola also expressed concern over increasing vandalism of the corporation’s infrastructure, saying it continued to undermine efforts to improve electricity supply and expand access across the country.
ESCOM warned that tampering with transformers, substations and other electrical installations could cause severe burns, permanent injuries or death.
The utility urged the public to avoid accessing electricity installations without authorisation and to report suspicious activities to ESCOM or police.
It said vandalism endangered lives, disrupted electricity supply and increased the cost-of-service delivery, adding that protecting infrastructure serving homes, businesses and essential services was a shared responsibility.
Gas supply constraints, reduced hydroelectric output and maintenance problems have curtailed electricity generation in Nigeria, triggering outages in several areas, including Abuja, Lagos and Kwara, the power ministry and the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) said on Thursday.
The outages have angered consumers, with many taking to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to express frustration over the lack of electricity.
The Ministry of Power acknowledged the disruption to households, businesses and public institutions, particularly in areas that had recently recorded improvements in supply.
“We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” it said in a statement signed by Adeola Adelabu, special adviser on media and publicity to the minister.
Preliminary assessments indicated that the outages were not caused by a major or systemic failure of the national grid, the ministry said.
“They stem from maintenance and operational issues on parts of the power ecosystem, together with a decline in generation caused by constraints in gas supply to thermal power stations and reduced output from hydroelectric stations due to lower water inflows into reservoirs.”
Relevant operators were addressing the problems, it added.
Power Minister Joseph Tegbe was working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria, NISO and electricity distribution companies to accelerate the restoration of supply, the ministry said.
Tegbe had urged the operators to resolve operational constraints, expedite maintenance and provide regular updates to consumers.
“Nigerians deserve better power, and this administration is working to deliver it,” the ministry said.
The minister thanked consumers for their patience and pledged further updates as restoration efforts progressed.
In a separate statement, NISO said the generation shortfall had reduced the electricity available for allocation to distribution companies, resulting in shorter supply hours and increased load shedding.
The impact varied across distribution networks, depending on available generation and allocations to individual companies, it said.
“NISO acknowledges the impact of the current generation shortfall on electricity consumers nationwide and appreciates the concerns expressed by members of the public and other stakeholders.”
The operator said it was working to diversify the national grid’s energy mix to strengthen supply security while maintaining grid stability and making the best use of available generation within existing operational constraints.
