By: Karen Aryeetey
20 participants from Ghana and The Gambia are being trained by the Volta River Authority, VRA Academy on solar mini-grid development and renewable energy systems.
The 10-day “training of trainers” workshop is designed to strengthen local expertise and capacity in renewable energy technologies across West Africa.
Speaking at the workshop, Chief Learning Officer at the VRA Academy, Kingsley Gyamfi, said the training initiative would play a vital role in shaping the future of energy access in West Africa.
He said, “we are not simply training practitioners. We are building a cadre of trainers who will multiply the impact of this knowledge across institutions, organizations, and communities through West Africa. Every participant in this programme carries the potential to shape perhaps hundreds of future energy practitioners. That is the power of ‘training the trainer’ approach and it is a responsibility we must not take lightly”.
Mr. Gyamfi added that Ghana and the wider West African sub-region faces a shortage of specialised engineering professionals, particularly in renewable energy, power systems and technical maintenance, stressing the need for more skilled professionals in the space.
He said, “the country needs more technically skilled professionals to support industrialisation and the growing transition toward cleaner energy systems”.
Managing Director of VRA International Schools, Eric Mensa Bonsu called for increased participation of women in technical roles.
He said, “the transition to sustainable energy presents an opportunity to foster greater diversity. By actively promoting gender-responsive training and certification, we are ensuring that both women and men alike can contribute to the sector’s growth”.
A representative from the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, ECREEE Guei Guillaume Kouhie said “ECREEE remains committed to strengthening human capacity in accelerating sustainable energy deployment in line with ECOWAS vision 2050”.
In hard-to-reach rural and peri-urban communities, extending the national grid remains difficult and costly.
As a result, solar electric mini-grids present a practical and scalable alternative for increasing access to electricity, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and addressing climate change impacts.
In view of this, the Volta River Authority in partnership with the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, ECREEE has launched the maiden edition of a regional training programme aimed at building expertise in clean mini-grid development and sustainable energy access.
The programme combines classroom-based theoretical instruction with practical field experience, including visits to solar installations and power generation facilities operated by the Volta River Authority.
The programme is in partnership with the Ho and Takoradi Technical Universities.
They are expected to support technical and practical training delivery, with more technical universities to be brought on board in the future as the academy expands its infrastructure and capacity-building efforts.
