By Albert Oppong-Ansah
Accra, Aug. 19, GNA – The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has called for Ghana’s nuclear power programme to be treated as a strategic national project to support long-term industrial growth.
It said sustained and predictable investment, strong institutional commitment and collaboration among the Government, industry, development partners, investors and technical institutions were needed to advance the programme.
Dr Humphrey Ayim-Darke, former President of the AGI, made the call at the US-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit in Accra.
He said Ghana needed to accelerate the programme from the preparatory stage to construction readiness by addressing financing, technical, regulatory and institutional requirements.
Dr Ayim-Darke said funding constraints affecting nuclear site studies, site characterisation and environmental assessments highlighted the need for a coordinated financing strategy to keep the programme on course.
“The nuclear programme must be treated as a strategic national project, whose implementation transcends its own science,” he said.
Dr Ayim-Darke said industrial competitiveness should be central to Ghana’s nuclear energy ambitions, noting that electricity planning must take account of the growing energy needs of productive industries.
He said reliable and affordable electricity was critical to the country’s efforts to process raw materials locally and expand manufacturing.
Dr Ayim-Darke identified mining, agro-processing, steel, cement, chemicals and other energy-intensive industries as sectors that required dependable power to expand production and remain competitive.
He urged policymakers to consider nuclear energy as part of a broader industrial energy strategy rather than solely as a means of generating electricity.
Dr Ayim-Darke said Ghana could use the programme to develop a domestic nuclear industrial ecosystem covering engineering, construction, maintenance, manufacturing, professional services, research, skills development and technology transfer.
“Nuclear power should not be viewed merely as the construction of power plants. It should become an opportunity to develop local capabilities in engineering, construction, maintenance, manufacturing, professional services, research and skills,” he said.
Dr Ayim-Darke called for a clearly defined role for the private sector to help mobilise the capital required for nuclear development.
He said investor confidence would depend on transparency, strong safety standards, credible economic assessments and clear regulatory arrangements.
Dr Ayim-Darke also said sustained public confidence would require high standards of nuclear safety, environmental protection, regulatory oversight and public engagement.
He said stakeholders needed to demonstrate how nuclear energy could contribute to industrial growth, job creation and economic transformation.
Dr Ayim-Darke said Ghana could not afford to wait for an energy crisis before investing in its future energy supply.
“Electricity demand is growing. Industries need power. We are seeking to process our raw materials domestically, and that requires more reliable and affordable electricity,” he said.
Ghana, he noted, needed to build an energy system capable of supporting the industrial economy over the coming decades.
Dr Ayim-Darke said international partnerships, including growing cooperation between Ghana, the United States and other development partners, could help mobilise investors, technology providers, financial institutions and international companies into the nuclear sector.
He said such partnerships could provide the expertise and investment needed to advance the programme while building local capacity.
Dr Ayim-Darke called on the Government to move decisively with the nuclear programme while maintaining a diversified energy mix and ensuring that its development remained anchored in safety, affordability, environmental responsibility and transparency.
“We cannot build a competitive industrial economy on an uncertain power system. We must build a power system that our industrial future demands, and nuclear energy must be part of that future,” he said.
Dr Ayim-Darke said successful development of nuclear energy could provide Ghana with a reliable long-term source of electricity while creating opportunities for local industries to participate in the wider nuclear value chain.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
19 Aug. 2026
Reporter: Albert Oppong-Ansah
Email: [email protected]