As Ghana prepares for upcoming elections, a pressing question lingers for many Ghanaians: Which party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or the New Patriotic Party (NPP), can be trusted to keep the nation’s lights on?
Nana Amoasi VII, Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security (IES), tackled this question on Joy News’ PM Express Manifesto Tracker edition, examining each party’s track record in managing the country’s energy resources.
In his analysis, Nana Amoasi pointed out that Ghana has the infrastructure and resources to generate a stable power supply.
“We have enough installed capacity,” he stated on Wednesday, referring to the excess power supply available to meet demand.
Beyond infrastructure, he highlighted the role of the Energy Sector Levy Act (ESLA), which he said provides “some cash flow” to fund the sector’s needs.
According to him, “We’re no longer reliant on costly liquid fuel; we’re now producing and relying on gas from our own fields,” a shift that has made power generation more financially sustainable.
In assessing the NPP’s performance, Nana Amoasi noted that while outages have decreased under their administration, there is room for improvement.
“Even though the number of outages recorded under the NDC was higher than under the NPP, one would expect that with the resources at the NPP’s disposal, they could have done even better,” he stated.
He emphasized that with sufficient resources and domestic gas production, the NPP had the opportunity to create a more efficient and reliable power system than its predecessors.
“They have managed to keep the lights on,” he acknowledged, “but when it comes to maximizing the available resources, there is more that could be achieved.”
Despite the NPP’s efforts to maintain power stability, Nana Amoasi acknowledged the NDC’s efficient handling of limited resources during its tenure.
“To see who has been more efficient in managing limited resources, I think the NDC has done well,” he stated, suggesting that the NDC while grappling with higher outage rates, used what resources they had effectively.
When asked whether Ghanaians should trust the NDC or NPP with the country’s power future, Nana Amoasi noted the challenge of choosing between two administrations with mixed records.
“It’s a very interesting question. The NPP has reduced outages, but the NDC handled resource constraints well,” he said.
He added that “many Ghanaians are asking which party will better serve our long-term energy needs?”
The question of energy security, he implied, transcends party politics.
“For many people, it’s about voting for who can deliver a more sustainable energy future,” he concluded, hinting that stability and reliability in Ghana’s power sector will remain a pivotal issue in the election.