Ghana Among Top 10 African Countries In Ranking On Best Access To Electricity; Beats Nigeria, Kenya

Ghana Among Top 10 African Countries In Ranking On Best Access To Electricity; Beats Nigeria, Kenya

  • Ghana has been ranked favourably among a list of 20 African countries with best access to electricity
  • The ranking sources data from the Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report on access to electricity
  • Ghana is ranked just one step below South Africa and has better access to electricity than Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Kenya

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Data by the 'Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report' on access to electricity in 20 African countries shows Ghana listed among the top ten countries with the best access.

Ghana is ranked 7th with 85% access to power nationwide, just below South Africa's 6th position with 84% access to power.

Ghana also beats notable countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon, among other nations.

Electricity Ghana
Ghana uses a mix of hydro, thermal and solar energy sources. Sources: Instagram/@fillaboyzdotcom.
Source: Instagram

According to a report by Business Insider Africa, the 'Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report' is a global dashboard dedicated to registering progress on energy access across Africa and elsewhere.

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It is part of the Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) targets.

The dashboard is a collaborative initiative by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and other partners.

The report clarified that the dashboard was last updated in 2019.

Below is the ranking of 20 African countries in access to electricity:

  1. Egypt: 100% energy access
  2. Algeria: 100% energy access
  3. Morocco: 100% energy access
  4. Tunisia: 100% energy access
  5. Gabon: 91% energy access
  6. South Africa: 85% energy access
  7. Ghana: 84% energy access
  8. Botswana: 70% energy access
  9. Kenya: 70% energy access
  10. Senegal: 70% energy access
  11. Libya: 69% energy access
  12. Ivory Coast: 69% energy access
  13. Equatorial Guinea: 67% energy access
  14. Cameroon: 63% energy access
  15. Nigeria: 55% energy access
  16. Namibia: 55% energy access
  17. Sudan: 54% energy access
  18. Eritrea: 50% energy access
  19. Ethiopia: 48% energy access
  20. Congo: 48% energy access

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ECG losing GH¢3.2bn to power theft, unwillingness to pay electricity bills – Energy Minister

According to the report, the factors hindering access to electricity on the African continent include the following:

  • Decades of neglect in building up country-wide infrastructure
  • A lack of foreign investment
  • A poor framework for regulation, and
  • Difficulty surrounding bankability of power projects.

Experts recommend de-centralising the power ecosystem to boost access and guarantee affordability.

Dumsor Is Never Coming Back – Energy Ministry Rejects Claim By Dr Donkor

The Energy Ministry has promised that the power crisis will never return under the current government, rejecting a contrary claim by former Minister of Energy Dr Kwabena Donkor.

Dr Donkor, a former Energy Minister under President John Mahama, is alleged to have said that the electricity crisis will return if urgent steps are not taken.

He is said to have made the claims about the return of 'dumsor' on the back of what he described as an "insignificant addition [by the current government] to our generation capacity."

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Authors:
George Nyavor avatar

George Nyavor (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) George Nyavor writes for YEN.com.gh. He has been Head of the Politics and Current Affairs Desk since 2022. George has over 9 years of experience in managing media and communications (Myjoyonline and GhanaWeb). George is a member of the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners Ghana (CAMP-G). He obtained a BA in Communications Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2010. Reach out to him via george.nyavor@yen.com.gh.