Government's in Africa must leverage Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) to finance power transmission projects in order to strengthen the continent's long-term energy security.
The call was made in Accra by panellists at the West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025 underway in Accra, who emphasised that public resources alone were insufficient to deliver the scale of investment required to modernise national grids and support expanding regional interconnections.
Speaking on the topic "How private sector collaboration can boost national transmission and regional interconnections," the speakers stressed that the continent's rising electricity demand and limited fiscal space made private capital indispensable.
The three-day high-level summit, organised by EnergyNet and YES in collaboration with the Government of Ghana, brought together energy ministers, regulators, financiers, and private sector players to accelerate energy development and cooperation across West Africa.
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A member of the Council of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority, Charles Ndiaye, said countries across the sub-region faced similar challenges, including rapid demand growth and aging grid systems unable to match present-day requirements.
"No country can meet its long-term energy goals in isolation. Interconnected, resilient and fast-functioning systems are critical for reliability and for the success of energy supply," he explained.
The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), Mr Mark Baah, described the discussion as timely. He said GRIDCo had projected to invest $10.5 billion on transmission lines, saying less than 20 per cent of that amount had been mobilised over the past six years.
"Public funds alone will not be enough for us to meet all the transmission requirements," he said.
The Chief Finance Officer of Cenpower Generation, Peter James, observed that Ghana had made notable progress in diversifying its energy market since 2010, with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) now accounting for nearly half of installed generation capacity.
Despite this, he said electricity exports remained at only about 10 per cent, and IPPs contributed only modestly due to transmission limitations.
Mr James said enhancing regional transmission networks would unlock greater power trading opportunities and improve investor confidence, particularly through assurances of cost recovery and payment stability.
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The Deputy Director of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Friday Sule, said transmission expansion was essential not only for improved energy flow but also for grid stability, which would become increasingly important as populations grew and industrialisation advanced.
The Director for Business Development at Gridworks Partners, Loic Ehua, added that lessons from Uganda showed that private sector involvement in transmission could succeed when investment frameworks were clear, transparent, and backed by strong political will. He said the commitment from governments would determine how quickly transmission networks could be modernised to meet future energy needs.
The Board Chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana, William Amuna, who moderated, emphasised that transmission networks formed the backbone of any reliable and secure power system. With Ghana's demand rising by 300 to 400 megawatts each year, he said it was imperative to expand and reinforce transmission lines to support both national development and cross-border electricity trade.
Mr Amuna urged governments and private partners to work collectively towards building robust, integrated, and future-ready transmission systems across West Africa.
