John Jinapor interacting with keynote speakers at the Future of Energy Conference 2025
The Minister for Energy, Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor, has emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to address Africa’s energy challenges and unlock the continent’s economic potential.
Speaking at the Future of Energy Conference 2025, held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Minister Jinapor highlighted the critical role energy plays in driving industrialization, digital transformation, and social development.
Among major concerns the Minister amplified in his speech are staggering statistics that over 600 million Africans lack access to electricity, and more than one billion rely on traditional biomass for cooking, hindering economic growth and perpetuating inequality. Thereby stressing on the importance of cooperation between governments, the private sector, and development institutions to transform Africa’s energy sector.
The Minister advised Africa’s path to a green transition must be carefully calibrated to ensure energy affordability, industrial growth, and job creation, with regional value chain development and local processing of critical minerals being crucial.
In the case of Ghana’s Energy Transition Framework, which aims to decarbonize the power and petroleum sectors while maintaining energy security, with initiatives such as scaling up renewables, clean cooking solutions, and green hydrogen studies.
Minister’s Call to Action:
Hon Jinapor in ending his speech made a critical call to participants to move beyond brainstorming ideas to commitment and actions. Setting the stage, he indicated that competitive and sustainable financing mechanisms, including bonds markets, carbon trading, and green funds, are essential for Africa’s energy future.
He noted that, sovereign guarantees, policy predictability, and transparent regulation can help mitigate risks associated with energy investments as well as scaling up innovation and research in clean technologies adapted to Africa’s realities is vital for a sustainable energy future.
The Minister urged governments, businesses, investors, and civil society to work together, make commitments, and act decisively to transform Africa’s energy sector.
The Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association (GITA) has successfully held its maiden Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Ocean Green Beach Resort, marking a significant milestone in the history of the association.
The meeting brought together trawler owners, directors, and stakeholders to review the progress of the sector and set a new direction for the future. A key highlight of the event was the election of new executives to steer the affairs of the association.
The following members were duly elected:
Mr. Dominic Danquah – President
Mr. Kojo Ampratwum – Vice President
Mr. Danny Quaye – Secretary
Mr. Jerome Deamesi – Financial Secretary
Mr. Ohene Nana Kessie – Treasurer
In his farewell remarks, the outgoing president, Mr. Stephen Adjokatcher, expressed deep gratitude to the members for their unwavering support during his tenure. He assured the newly elected executives of his continuous support to advance the growth of the association.
N’Delei M’Baindu Sesay, a mining engineer, has spot-lighted the complex perspective on Sierra Leone’s mining regime at the 2025 Anglophone Africa Extractive Industries Knowledge Hub (AFREIKH) Summer School currently taking place in Accra, Ghana.
Sierra Leone’s rich mineral resources, including; diamonds, rutile, bauxite, gold, iron ore, and platinum plays a significant role in the economy, contributing about 5.7 percent of its GDP, 10% of government revenue, providing significant employment opportunities bagging about US$432 million export earning in the first seven months of 2024.
As a Regional Mining Engineer at Sierra Leone’s National Minerals Agency (NMA), Mrs Sesay further highlighted the country’s commitment to sustainable mining practices, with companies like Marampa Mines Limited pioneering innovative technologies like the cyclone deposition system for tailings management. In terms of Community Development; mining companies are expected to contribute to local community development through funds like the Community Development Fund (CDF), which supports initiatives in education, health, and environmental sustainability. However, the mining regime in Sierra Leone is shaped by policies and regulations aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and responsible resource management.
The AFREIKH Summer School, organized by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) and supported by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), provides a platform for stakeholders to discuss critical issues, challenges, and innovations in Africa’s extractive industries.
Currently, Mrs Sessay participates significantly in the governance and administration of Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) activities in Southern Province ensureing strict compliance with the Mines and Minerals Development Act (2023). Her role involves reviewing license procedures, monitoring mineral trading, and providing technical support to miners in an effort that reinforce regulatory adherence and promote sustainable mining practices. Additionally, she collaborates closely with government agencies, stakeholders, and local communities to implement mining policies and investigate incidents, offering actionable recommendations that support safer and more inclusive extractive sector governance.
The 2025 AFREIKH Summer School, organized by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) and the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), takes place in Accra. It brings together participants from media, civil society, and state institutions across Anglophone Africa, fostering dialogue on extractive industry governance.
On her academic records, she holds a BSc (Hons) in Mining Engineering from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, and a BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology. She further complements her expertise with a Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, along with certifications in Mineral Processing Technology, Change Leadership, and the implementation of the Mining ESIA Diagnostic Tool.
Also, She is a registered mining engineer at the Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers (SLIE) and co-founder of SCAN 360+ Sierra Leone Limited, an all-in-one ecosystem for creativity, innovation, and growth delivering integrated solutions across media, technology, education, and social impact.
Driven by a passion for sustainability, women in technology, and environmental health and safety, Mrs Sesay is dedicated to enhancing governance and operational efficiency within the extractive industry. Beyond her professional life, she is an adventurous lifelong learner, a proactive team player, and actively engaged in community service, always open to new connections, cultures, and experiences.
Fiona Chinaza Sylvanus, an Oil and Gas Officer in the Energy and Mining Department at the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), is participating in this year’s Anglophone Africa Extractive Industries Knowledge Hub (AFREIKH) Summer School.
As a key resource person in promoting transparency, accountability, and reform in Nigeria’s extractive sector, Fiona’s participation brings more insight and perspective in resource governance to discussions at the training.
Also, her contribution to the production of NEITI’s annual oil and gas audit reports, liaising with key government agencies and stakeholders to ensure timely data collection, coordination, and high-quality analysis which has directly supported impactful reforms in the oil and gas industry, enhancing the credibility and utility of NEITI’s audit outputs will help inform minds and discussions.
The 2025 AFREIKH Summer School, currently underway in Accra, has participants selected from all Anglophone African countries in the media, CSOs and state actors in the extractive industries. It is organised by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) and Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).
Fiona, a professional with over half a decade experience in the resource governance and engineering space, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria. She holds certifications in Practical Petroleum Economics and Fiscal Systems, as well as Financial Regulations on Public Ethics, among others. As a registered member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Fiona brings both technical expertise and a strong ethical foundation to her work.
Passionate about sustainable development, Fiona is committed to applying her skills to improve governance and efficiency within Nigeria’s extractive industries. Outside of work, she is a curious and adventurous lifelong learner who enjoys reading, volunteering, and engaging in public sensitization. She is always eager to connect with new people, discover new cultures, and embrace new experiences.
At the center of the training is the emphasis of the energy transition agenda, the African perspective.
The energy transition offers socioeconomic and environmental benefits for countries that can position themselves, leverage their abundant transition mineral resources and foster the development and deployment of innovative technologies. However, corruption risks and governance challenges could potentially threaten these positive outcomes. To seize the opportunities and manage the risks, extractive sector players advocate that resource-rich African countries must adopt appropriate economic policies that integrate the requirements of the energy transition. These policies must ensure a transparent and inclusive governance of the sector.
Bloomberg will host its inaugural Africa Business Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 18, 2025, as an official sideline event of B-20 South Africa 2025.
The Summit will convene influential leaders from business, government, and finance -including regulators, policymakers, and market participants to explore Africa’s evolving role in the global economy. Discussions will address the continent’s investment, policy, tradelandscape and financial market innovations needed to unlock growth, ensure stability, andsupport broader economic development.
As the first African country to assume the Presidency of the G-20 and host the B-20, SouthAfrica marks a historic milestone for the continent. Held on the eve of the B-20 Summit, theAfrica Business Summit will examine what this moment means for Africa’s economic future,business ambitions, and international partnerships.
Attendees will hear from CEOs, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leadersin a series of interviews, panel discussions, and breakout sessions. Summit topics will include:
• Evolving investment trends and growth sectors reshaping Africa’s business landscape
• Shifts in global trade dynamics and Africa’s emerging role in geopolitical realignment
• The rapid rise of AI and its application across key African industries
• Energy transformation driven by infrastructure demand, critical minerals, and regional
collaboration
The Africa Business Summit will provide a platform for dialogue, insight, and collaboration at
a pivotal moment in the continent’s global economic journey. The program will also feature
special spotlight sessions, including a showcase of Bloomberg’s inaugural Africa’s Startups to
Watch list, launched earlier in 2025.
Further details on speakers and agenda will be announced at a later date. Click here for more
information and to register your interest.
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Professor John Gartchie Gatsi, Advisor to the Bank of Ghana
By Adnan Adams Mohammed
As Ghana speedily pushes to operationalise Non-Interest Banking And Finance (NIBF) – more popularly known as Islamic Banking – with the assurance of setting up a framework by the end of 2025, finance experts have tagged President John Mahama’s ‘Big Push’ and ‘Feed Ghana Initiative’ as biggest beneficiaries.
They believe NIBF will be a catalyst to finance most of the infrastructural and agricultural revolution as envisioned in the current government’s objectives under the ‘Big Push’ and ‘Feed Ghana Initiative’.
The NIBF, amid its comprehensive and holistic financing system which focuses on more productive results from money as against the conventional financial system which focuses on earning on money, provides secured, guaranteed and highly risk averse sources of funding tailored for specific projects at a time.
To this, the Bank of Ghana is developing a comprehensive framework for the introduction of Non-Interest Banking and Finance (NIBF) in the country. Led by Professor John Gartchie Gatsi, Advisor to the Bank of Ghana, the central bank aims to have this framework ready by the end of 2025 as it is currently on a broader jurisdictional and stakeholder engagement.
“NIBF is expected to finance big infrastructure projects, improve socio-economic activities, increase economic growth, deepen financial inclusion, and promote risk sharing in financial transactions”, Prof Gatsi noted at a workshop organised for journalists at Koforidua, last week.
“Bank of Ghana plans to work with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), real sectors, and the insurance sector to promote a healthy financial ecosystem.”
The central bank has also engaged with Nigeria’s banks and capital market players to learn from their NIBF system.
It is expected that NIBF will create expanded banking, capital market, and insurance opportunities in Ghana which will support sustainable development and the government’s 24-hour economy initiative.
Untapped Non-Interest
Apparently, the Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama, in his opening remarks read on his behalf by Mr Ismail Adam, Head of Banking Supervision said, “non-interest finance remains a largely untapped banking and financial opportunity in Ghana.
“In light of the structural constraints facing our economy—ranging from high graduate unemployment, sluggish GDP growth, significant infrastructure gaps, and limited fiscal space—NIBF presents a valuable opportunity to diversify both our financial system and sources of funding.
“What began as a niche complement to conventional finance in the 1970s has
evolved into a significant pillar of the global financial system. As of 2024, the NIBF industry surpassed a major milestone, with global assets exceeding US$5 trillion—
representing a 12% increase over 2023 and a 43% growth since 2020”, he noted while listing the numerous benefits of NIBF to economies.
The ‘Big Push’
The Big Push initiative as captured in the NDC 2024 manifesto is a US$10 billion infrastructure investment plan aimed at transforming Ghana’s economy and improving the quality of life for its citizens. The program focuses on several key areas, including: Investing in affordable housing to reduce the housing deficit and create jobs. Ghana has an estimated housing deficit of over two million units; Dualizing critical highways like Accra-Kumasi, Accra-Aflao, and Accra-Takoradi to ease transport costs and enhance regional integration. The Accra-Kumasi Expressway project is expected to commence soon; Expanding safe water access in underserved regions for dignity and public health; and Leveraging infrastructure projects for labor-intensive job creation and capacity building.
The Big Push agenda also emphasizes: Public-Private Partnerships, thus, leveraging private sector partnerships for well-structured public-private arrangements; Strengthening the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) for efficient fund management; and ensuring accountability through regular audits and public reporting.
Feed Ghana Initiative
President John Mahama’s Feed Ghana initiative, as captured in the NDC manifesto, is a flagship program aimed at transforming Ghana’s agricultural sector by boosting food production, reducing dependence on imports, creating jobs, and enhancing food security. Launched on April 12, 2025, in Techiman, Bono East Region, the program seeks to modernize agriculture and support Ghana’s economic transformation.
Key Components:
Smart Agriculture Promotion: Establishing Farmer Service Centers for mechanization, quality inputs, financing, market access, and training.
Grains and Legumes Development Project: Scaling up production of maize, rice, soybean, and sorghum for local consumption, agro-processing, and export.
Vegetable Development Project (‘Yiridya’): Promoting controlled environment farming and urban/peri-urban agriculture to reduce vegetable imports.
Institutional Farming: Encouraging schools and institutions with land to engage in crop and livestock farming.
Goals and Expected Outcomes:
The Feed Ghana Initiative is expected to reduce Ghana’s US$2 billion annual food import bill; Create sustainable job opportunities, especially for young people; Enhance food security and self-sufficiency; and Promote modernized farming practices and increase agricultural productivity.
With the kind of risk-sharing finance system and services provided by the non-interest banking and finance products, it is the most suitable financing system for the flagship initiatives of the government.
All things being equal, the Bank of Ghana has projected to make ready an operational framework for the introduction of a Non-interest banking and finance system in Ghana as it has began a broader consultation.
A team of expert from the Bank of Ghana under the leadership of Professor John Gatsi, Advisor to the Bank of Ghana has started with its jurisdictional exploratory and learning engagement as they already visited Nigeria where the NIBF system is vibrantly operating.
As part of the stakeholders engagement, the central bank in collaboration with Ghana Journalist Association, organised a two-day workshop for selected journalists in Koforidua over the weekend to highlight and deepen the knowledge-gap understanding needed to guide their reportage.
“Per our roadmap for the broader consultation of stakeholders and inter-agency collaboration, we anticipate to make ready a framework for the operationalisation of Non-interest banking and finance in Ghana before end of 2025”, Prof Gatsi disclosed to the participants.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama, in his opening remarks read on his behalf by Mr Ismail Adam, Head of Banking Supervision said, “non-interest finance remains a largely untapped banking and financial opportunity in Ghana.
“In light of the structural constraints facing our economy—ranging from high graduate unemployment, sluggish GDP growth, significant infrastructure gaps, and limited fiscal space—NIBF presents a valuable opportunity to diversify both our financial system and sources of funding.
“What began as a niche complement to conventional finance in the 1970s has evolved into a significant pillar of the global financial system. As of 2024, the NIBF industry surpassed a major milestone, with global assets exceeding USD 5 trillion—representing a 12% increase over 2023 and a 43% growth since 2020”, he noted while listing the numerous benefits of NIBF to economies.
President John Dramani Mahama has assured members of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) that oil revenues earmarked for his proposed $10 billion “Big Push” infrastructure initiative will be efficiently disbursed and managed.
The President gave the assurance during a courtesy call by the PIAC members. Led by its Chairman, Mr Constantine K.M. Kudzedzi, the Committee members visited to congratulate the President on his recent election victory and discuss matters concerning the management of Ghana’s oil revenues.
President Mahama outlined his government’s ambitious plan to invest $10 billion over the next five years, allocating $2 billion annually, into priority infrastructure projects across the country.
These projects will target key sectors, including roads, major bridges, education, and health infrastructure, as well as areas vital for boosting productivity in the agriculture sector.
He specified that agricultural projects under the “Big Push” would encompass irrigation schemes, construction of farmer service centres, and support for agribusiness development.
The President stated that the primary sources of funding for this significant policy initiative would be petroleum revenue and minerals royalties.
Commending PIAC for its vital role, President Mahama praised the Committee’s efforts in monitoring and ensuring transparency and accountability in the utilisation of Ghana’s petroleum revenues.
He highlighted PIAC as a commendable model for other countries seeking effective oversight mechanisms.
Professor Abdallah Ali-Nakyea, Associate Professor at the University of Ghana School of Law, has called on the government to adopt a zero-tolerance approach toward unethical corporate behaviour by barring offending companies from future contracts.
Emphasising that, since the government is the biggest buyer, biggest supplier, and biggest employer. All the private sector jobs are coming from the government. It can therefore use such influence to sanitise the business community of corruption which can easily transcend to the public sector.
The ardent advocate against Corruption in all forms, Prof Ali-Nakyea, while speaking at a high-level forum on corruption organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) last week, stressed that integrity in private business is just as essential as accountability in public office.
“Government should make it so that if you are caught with any unethical practices, you are blacklisted. You should not get any government contract,” he insisted.
“The private sector should adopt ethical practices and principles.
“Many companies benefit directly from state contracts yet operate without regard for transparency or integrity”, he noted.
He therefore called for urgent ethical reforms within Ghana’s private sector, warning that businesses are major enablers of public sector corruption and must be held accountable.
Prof Ali-Nakyea also decried the limited financial oversight and overreliance on external institutions, arguing instead for building robust local systems to fight corruption and illicit financial flows.
“The banking system needs checks and monitoring,” he stated. “And then the international organisations – I keep saying at such fora, we do not need loans, we do not need handouts. Help us strengthen. You see how we could’ve saved 5 billion from corruption, 2 billion from illicit flows from mining. Do we need to borrow?”
On legal reform, he urged amendments to Ghana’s anti-corruption laws to ensure that ill-gotten wealth is fully recovered and offenders face both legal and reputational penalties.
“Let’s amend anti-corruption laws to close the loopholes identified. We should have provisions for the recovery of funds. If you name, recover and punish, the result is shame. But if you name, punish and don’t recover, then nothing has been done. They will continue, hoping they will not be caught.”
He further called for tougher sanctions and improved whistleblower protection to encourage more citizens to report corruption.
“We need stricter penalties for offenders. We need stronger whistleblower protection, and these are some recommendations,” he concluded.
The MFWA forum, themed “Hidden Riches, Hollow Laws: Dissecting the Loopholes That Fuel Corruption and Illicit Financial Flows”, brought together stakeholders from academia, civil society, and the legal fraternity to discuss sustainable reforms in Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts.
A finance expert and an Advisor to the Bank of Ghana has jolted a misconception and misinformation spreading across the country that non-interest banking, or as others call it Islamic banking, if introduced in Ghana will collapse the conventional banks.
The expert emphasised that, rather non-interest banking will achieve economies of scope, financial inclusion, diversification in financing trade and commerce, as well as project finance for government and the private sectors of the economy.
Currently, among the West African countries, only Ghana is not implementing the non-interest banking and finance systems, which has really hurt Ghana’s economy in many ways. According to the World Bank, the Islamic finance industry has expanded rapidly over the past decade, growing at 10-12% annually. Today, Sharia-compliant financial assets are estimated at roughly US$2 trillion, covering bank and non-bank financial institutions, capital markets, money markets and insurance (“Takaful”). It is in line of these development that, the current government has shown commitment to rollout Islamic finance in Ghana.
“The apprehension that Islamic finance and banking will negatively affect conventional banks in the country is not rooted in progressive information widely available to regulators globally”, Professor John Gatsi has said in an interview last week.
“Furthermore, non-interest banking and finance will provide unique support to women entrepreneurs and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Many experts have asserted that, non-interest banking and finance will enhance Ghana’s market economic structure.
The non-interest finance system is not designed to outperform conventional structures because it is not a competitor but plays crucial complementary roles in municipal, central government, and private sectors’ infrastructure and enterprise funding.
“We have non-interest banking (Islamic banks )and capital markets institutions, including fintech companies in the UK, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Turkey, Japan, Canada, France, Netherlands, Nigeria, Uganda, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, America, Malaysia, to name a few. However, these institutions have not even competed with conventional banks, let alone dismantled them.”
