{
  "id": 16015540,
  "title": "Bright Simons questions feasibility of Ghana’s AI compute centre, cites power and water costs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/bright-simons-questions-feasibility-of-ghanas-ai-compute-centre-cites",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-22T07:06:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/bright-simons-questions-feasibility-of-ghanas-ai-compute-centre-cites-power-and-water-costs/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "IMANI Africa Vice President Bright Simons has raised concerns over the feasibility of Ghana's planned AI compute centre, focusing on electricity costs, water supply, and the country's past experiences with technology projects. Speaking at JoyNews' Digital Economy Forum, Simons highlighted that electricity costs would significantly impact the facility's efficiency, warning that Ghana's higher energy prices could hinder competitiveness. He suggested that the facility might need to charge users more or rely on government subsidies to operate. Simons also questioned whether Ghana could guarantee a consistent electricity supply, emphasizing the importance of reliable power in addition to pricing. Additionally, he raised concerns about the substantial water requirements for running a large data centre, citing Ghana's challenges with managing a desalination plant as a relevant example. The IMANI Africa leader questioned the factors that could make this initiative more successful than previous attempts to develop locally built digital services in Ghana, such as the government's failed attempts to establish email services and payroll management software. Simons called for a thorough evaluation of the project, urging the government to involve think tanks and other stakeholders in the decision-making process. He urged for analytical scrutiny and evidence-based debate before making final decisions on the AI compute centre.",
  "summary": "Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has questioned Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George over the feasibility of Ghana’s planned AI compute centre, citing concerns about electricity costs, water supply and the country’s history with locally developed technology projects. Speaking during JoyNews’ Digital Economy Forum on AI and the Ghana…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}