Ghana Moves To Power Nigeria: Is Africa’s Giant Now Set To Buy Electricity From Its Neighbour?
By Passman Akpos
Ghana is positioning itself to become a major electricity supplier in West Africa, with the country signalling plans to expand power exports to Nigeria as part of a broader strategy to strengthen regional energy integration.
Ghana’s Energy and Green Transition Minister, John Abdulai Jinapor, said the country wants to develop enough electricity generation and transmission capacity to satisfy domestic demand while also supplying neighbouring countries.
Ghana already exports electricity to Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso through regional power connections, and Nigeria is now emerging as a potentially significant additional market because of its population of more than 200 million.
However, Jinapor acknowledged that Ghana would need substantial additional transmission infrastructure to support electricity exports to Nigeria on the scale being contemplated.
The development could reshape the West African electricity market, particularly as countries seek stronger regional power connections to address supply challenges and improve energy security.
For Nigeria, which has continued to grapple with electricity supply constraints despite its vast energy resources, increased regional power imports could provide another source of electricity if the necessary transmission arrangements and commercial agreements are established.
Ghana, meanwhile, is pursuing a diversified energy strategy involving natural gas, renewable energy and nuclear power as it seeks to strengthen electricity reliability and support President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Jinapor has argued that dependable electricity will be critical to enabling businesses and industries to operate for extended hours under the initiative.
The Ghanaian government’s strategy therefore combines increased domestic generation with ambitions to turn surplus capacity into an export opportunity across West Africa.
If Ghana succeeds in expanding generation and transmission infrastructure, the country could strengthen its position as a regional energy hub while creating new electricity-export revenues.
For Nigeria, the prospect of buying more electricity from Ghana also raises questions about the country’s own power-sector reforms, generation capacity, transmission network and long-term energy independence.
The proposed Ghana-Nigeria electricity trade could consequently become more than a commercial arrangement—it could test the strength of West Africa’s emerging regional electricity market and the ability of neighbouring countries to share power across borders.
