As Ghana brought together regional leaders, policymakers, and global partners for the Seventh Regional Committee Meeting of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in Accra from September 2 to 4, the nation reaffirmed its emergence as a renewable energy trailblazer. The forum marked a pivotal push to move Africa’s solar ambitions from theory to tangible progress.
Ghana welcomed ISA member states and development partners to its capital for the high-level gathering, which focused on driving solar investment, strengthening institutions, and advancing technological innovation across the continent.
ISA’s Director General, Ashish Khanna, sounded a clarion call: “Africa receives less than 2 % of global clean energy investments, even as over 600 million people remain without access to electricity despite the continent’s vast solar potential. This must change. At the Regional Committee Meeting in Accra, we are moving from ambition to action.”
Khanna outlined ISA’s strategic pillars, catalytic finance, institutional capacity building, technology and policy innovation, and regional partnerships, and highlighted financial tools such as the US $200 million Africa Solar Facility and the US $25 million Multi-Donor Trust Fund aimed at mitigating risk and mobilizing private capital.
The meeting agenda emphasized transformative initiatives, including the expansion of STAR-Centres of Excellence for training and innovation, the promotion of solar-powered agriculture to boost food security, and the deployment of digital and AI solutions for smarter and more inclusive solar development.
Setting the tone for the discussions, John Abdulai Jinapor, Ghana’s Energy and Green Transition Minister, underscored the country’s own green ambitions. He highlighted the urgent need to bridge Africa’s power deficit, noting that nearly 600 million Africans still lack electricity access. “Despite representing about 17 percent of the world’s population, Africa consumes only 4 percent of global energy. Renewable energy, particularly solar, is both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity to create jobs and drive growth,” he said.
The Minister further outlined Ghana’s renewable energy roadmap, which includes a $3.4 billion five-year action plan to install 1,400 megawatts of new solar capacity by 2030. Key projects include 100,000 smart solar street lights, 2,500 solar water pumping systems for smallholder farmers, and 400 solar-powered mini-grids to serve rural communities. He added: “We are committed to ensuring that at least 10 percent of Ghana’s electricity mix comes from renewable sources by 2030, excluding large-scale hydro. Our goal is to secure universal access to power while making Ghana a hub for clean energy in West Africa.”
The forum underscores a strong commitment to accelerate Africa’s solar future, with delegates agreeing that the continent must lead rather than follow in the global energy transition. Ghana, in particular, is positioning itself to generate 21 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2030, making clean energy a cornerstone of its industrial growth, job creation, and regional trade.
By: Bawa Musah
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