{
  "id": 3270345,
  "title": "Africa’s 600m power gap threatens industrialization drive – Energy Minister warns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/africas-600m-power-gap-threatens-industrialization-drive-energy",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T13:10:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GBC Ghana",
    "slug": "gbc-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/news/africas-600m-power-gap-threatens-industrialization-drive-energy-minister-warns/2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, has expressed grave concerns about the electricity quality, cost, and reliability in Africa. At the 2026 Future of Energy Conference in Accra, he questioned whether the continent's electricity supply can support competitive industries. Questioning the nature and cost of Africa's electricity supply, Dr. Jinapor highlighted the urgent need for reliable, predictable power to foster industrial growth. With only 8% of the world's population lacking electricity, 600 million people, primarily in Africa, are affected. A significant proportion of Africa remains without electricity, with rural areas experiencing the most acute lack of access. Dr. Jinapor stressed that industrialization cannot occur without cheap, base-load power, emphasizing the critical need for affordable, consistent, and reliable electricity. In Ghana, projected electricity consumption for 2025 is approximately 25,836 gigawatt-hours, a substantial figure for many neighboring countries. The Minister noted Ghana's rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), which, while offering savings on fuel costs, pose challenges for reliable electricity supply. With Ghana leading Africa in EV ownership, the Minister pointed out the necessity of addressing the energy demand surge, questioning how the country will provide reliable energy to support industrialization amid the EV boom. The government is tackling this challenge by proposing legislation to regulate EV usage and charging infrastructure. However, this presents a dilemma as the rush to set up EV charging stations is overwhelming the current electricity grid, causing transformers to blow. Dr. Jinapor proposed a system where individuals and companies must obtain permission from the Energy Commission to install EV charging stations, a step intended to reinforce the grid and prevent transformer damage. He appealed to the public to support these measures, emphasizing their importance for industrial competitiveness and reliable power supply for industrial and productive uses.",
  "summary": "By: Samuel Ayammah The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, has raised serious concerns about the quality, cost and reliability of electricity being provided on the continent, questioning whether it can power competitive African industries. Dr. Jinapor made the remarks at the 2026 Future of Energy Conference (FEC) in Accra, organized […]",
  "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."
}