Ghana: Press focuses on nuclear energy mix project, others

APA – Accra (Ghana)
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kwaku Afriyie’s assertion Ghana’s quest to add nuclear power to its energy mix is on course and progressing steadily is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Friday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that Ghana’s quest to add nuclear power to its energy mix is on course and progressing steadily, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, has said.
He said as part of the phase two of the project, the country had received feedback on six large reactors and small modular reactors which are key devices needed in the operation of the country’s first nuclear power plant.
He said his ministry and the Ministry of Energy were facilitating and enhancing the coordination role of the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organisation (GNP¬PO) as directed by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
In a speech read on his behalf at a Scientific Innovations Dialogue held in Accra on Friday, he said the country had also entered into agreements and collaborations to build the competences of relevant organisations.
“We are aware of the importance of capacity-building, adherence to high-level safety and following international best practices,” he said at the event held in commemoration of this year’s ‘Day of the Scientific Renaissance of Africa’.
Instituted in 1987, the day is marked on June 30 each year to highlight the critical roles played by science and technology in national development, as well as recall the input of Africa to the rise of modern science and technology.
This year’s event was organised by the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) on the theme: “Harnessing the power of the atom for economic transformaion through science and technology.”
After decades of efforts to include nuclear power in the country’s energy mix, President Akufo-Addo, last year, announced the country’s official commitment based on a comprehensive programme report to signal the end of phase one, with various activities ongoing under phase two.
Justifying the need for the nuclear plant, Dr Afriyie said it was crucial to getting reliable and affordable energy as resilient economies relied on the same for development.
The newspaper says that Ghana yesterday launched the Global Shield against Climate Risks (GSACR) and the Global Risk Modelling Alliance (GRMA) to raise financial resources to finance climate change disasters.
The Global Shield against Climate Risk was formally launched during the COP 27 last year to help climate vulnerable countries to raise finance to finance climate change disasters.
Speaking at a workshop which was used to launch the initiatives in Accra on Tuesday, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, said the German government during COP 27, provided 85.5 million to support the fund.
He said further pledges to Global Shield included 35 million Danish kroner (about 4.7 million euros) from Denmark, 10 million euros from Ireland, $7 million from Canada, 20 million euros from France and the recent 30 million euros from the European Union.
“These ground breaking initiatives mark a significant step forward in our collective efforts to tackle the immense challenges posed by climate change,” Mr Ofori-Atta stated.
He said Global Shield seeks to establish pre-arranged, trig¬ger-based financing mechanisms to ensure timely and effective responses to climate-related challenges, while the GRMA was an initiative that aims to assess country risk and provide essential data for decision-making on solutions to manage climate risks, drive in new adaptation investments.
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Afriyie, said the launch of the GSACR and the GRMA were steps in the right direction.
That, he said, would help to increase protection for climate-vulnerable economies like Ghana and communities by providing substantially more and better pre-arranged and trigger-based finance against disasters and climate risks.
The Graphic reports that the Deputy Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Air Commodore George Kweku Arko-Dadzie, has urged African countries to come up with solutions to mitigate the impact of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict on the continent,
He said concerns were also rising about the emergence of proxy wars, waning commitment to democratisation and undermining of African multilateralism.
Air Commodore Arko-Dadzie was speaking at a seminar to assess the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Africa in Accra last Wednesday.
The event, which took place at the KAIPTC, was attended by experts, stakeholders and representatives of political parties who shared their perspectives on how armed conflict was affecting Africa.
One year has passed since the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted, disrupting prices of food and energy around the world and leaving many nations reeling from its shocks.
Air Commodore Arko-Dadzie said the invasion and the ensuing impasse between Russia and the West continue to threaten world peace, adding that it also had the potential to turn Russia into a fortress that would pursue an aggressive foreign policy in Africa and other weaker regions with an agenda to gain allies, markets, raw materials and diversify its external relations.
The deputy commandant added that the isolation of Russia as part of punitive sanctions imposed by the West had affected Africa negatively in the form of rising prices for goods such as wheat, oil and fertilizer.
“We must also not forget that within the diplomatic arena, Africa and Russia will likely face challenges in the near future.
Air Commodore Arko-Dadzie said the invasion and the ensuing impasse between Russia and the West continue to threaten world peace, adding that it also had the potential to turn Russia into a fortress that would pursue an aggressive foreign policy in Africa and other weaker regions with an agenda to gain allies, markets, raw materials and diversify its external relations.
The deputy commandant added that the isolation of Russia as part of punitive sanctions imposed by the West had affected Africa negatively in the form of rising prices for goods such as wheat, oil and fertilizer.
The newspaper says that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has unveiled its innovative cashless system and PowerApp, offering a lot of benefits to customers while streamlining operations and enhancing service delivery.
The General Manager of External Communications of the ECG, Charles Nii Ayiku Ayiku, shared insights into these groundbreaking solutions during a stakeholders’ engagement with the national executive of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) in Accra.
Mr Ayiku emphasised that ECG payment offices would no longer accept cash, urging customers to adopt digital payment options such as mobile money, Visa, Mastercard, or bank transfers for purchasing power and paying bills.
This transition aims to provide relief, convenience to customers, and eliminate revenue leakages within the company.
Meanwhile, the ECG PowerApp, a groundbreaking mobile application, offers numerous advantages that transform the way customers transact business with the ECG.
Mr Ayiku highlighted the app’s reporting system as a valuable feature stressing that previously, customers had to physically visit ECG offices to report issues.
Now, the PowerApp allows users to report problems directly, ensuring swift attention and resolution.
This streamlined process reduces response times and improves customer satisfaction.
GIK/APA