Ghana pushes $3.4bn solar plan at ISA Africa Meeting

Ghana has reaffirmed its position as a renewable energy frontrunner as it hosted the Seventh Regional Committee Meeting of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in Accra from September 2 to 4, 2025.

The high-level gathering brought together regional leaders, policymakers, and global partners to drive solar investment, strengthen institutions, and advance technological innovation across Africa.

ISA’s Director General, Ashish Khanna, stressed the urgency of scaling up clean energy financing on the continent.

“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,” he said.

Khanna outlined ISA’s strategic pillars, including catalytic finance, institutional capacity building, technology and policy innovation, and regional partnerships. He also highlighted funding tools such as the US$200 million Africa Solar Facility and the US$25 million Multi-Donor Trust Fund, designed to mitigate risks and attract private capital.

The agenda emphasized transformative initiatives such as expanding STAR-Centres of Excellence for training and innovation, promoting solar-powered agriculture to boost food security, and deploying digital and AI solutions for smarter and more inclusive solar development.

The Energy and Green Transition Minister, John Abdulai Jinapor, used the platform to highlight Africa’s energy gap and Ghana’s renewable ambitions.

“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.

He disclosed that Ghana has launched a US$3.4 billion five-year action plan to install 1,400 megawatts of new solar capacity by 2030. Planned projects include 100,000 smart solar streetlights, 2,500 solar water pumping systems for smallholder farmers, and 400 solar-powered mini-grids for rural communities.

“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,” Jinapor added.

Delegates at the forum agreed that Africa must take the lead in the global energy transition. Ghana, in particular, is positioning itself to generate 21 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2030, making clean energy central to its industrial growth, job creation, and regional trade.

By: Bawa Musah

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