By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Nov. 25, GNA – The second training session of selected engineers from some African countries by the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) and the Training Centre of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has successfully ended.
The seven-week training had engineers from nine African countries; Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana (NEDCo), Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda, participating, an expansion over the first session, which had trainees from only the West African zone.
The training formed part of deliberate efforts by JICA, which aims to support some countries to build sustainable electricity systems to reduce power outages and to provide affordable electricity for all.
JICA, as part of this objective, has also been supporting the energy sectors in these counties by strengthening electricity transmission and distribution networks, promoting the introduction of renewable energy, as well as energy efficiency, developing human resources, and strengthening human networks in the energy sector.
Ms. Suzuki Momoko, Chief Representative for the JICA Ghana Office, speaking at the closing ceremony, indicated that training targeted technicians in the maintenance of electrical equipment and engineers in the distribution, planning, design, system protection, and control.
Ms. Momoko is emphasising that, “we believe capacity building of technicians and engineers is indispensable, as they are the technicians and the engineers who are maintaining the network and ensuring that electricity is distributed as planned.”
She urged them to share and be impactful with the knowledge gained, expressing the hope that what they learnt during the training would contribute to their countries’ sustainable electricity system.
She further said the programme had also enhanced collaboration among the participating countries and provided a platform for continuous sharing of experiences.
Mr. Godfred Mensah, the Director of the ECG Training Centre, and an engineer gave an overview of the subjects the training covered and called for continued bilateral partnership between Ghana and Japan and the institutions ECG and JICA.
Mr. Wisdom Kwame Aglimah, a participant from Ghana, speaking on behalf of the trainees, thanked his colleagues for creating an enabling environment for both the theoretical and practical learning, reiterating the need to share the knowledge acquired with others in their establishments to make more impact in the sector.
GNA