Ghana requires an estimated $562 billion financing to implement its energy transition framework from now to 2070, when the country is expected to phase out its reliance on fossil-based energy, with its challenges of global warming to a zero carbon system — a much cleaner energy — in line with global demands.

Dr Robert Sogbadji, Deputy Director, Nuclear and Alternative Energy, Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, told journalists in Accra on Wednesday that the financing was expected from the country’s own kitty and support from the private sector and development partners.

He said: “Estimated 1,404,702 new job opportunities will be created from the energy transition due to the introduction of new technologies such as Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), nuclear, hydrogen, Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations.”

Dr Sogbadji added that 30.05 million productive hours would be gained due to upscaled adoption of clean cooking fuel, adding that “this would have a significant impact on women and children who are the main gatherers of firewood.”

He was speaking at a capacity training for editors and senior journalists on “The Energy Transition and its Implication for Ghana,” organised by the International Perspective for Policy and Governance (IPPG), a policy think-tank, to enhance journalists’ knowledge on drivers and dynamics of the global and Ghanaian energy transition.

Dr Sogbadji said the energy transition was a “double-edged sword” with its benefits and challenges, saying that the country’s economy was too fragile to “rush” through the transition. However, he said there was the need to remain focused and committed to the transition framework to minimise the risks involved.

He said the transition would result in job losses in the fossil fuel industry — oil, natural gas — while it would also bring benefits in the creation of “new jobs, new technology, improvement of air quality, healthy environment and cheap electricity from solar and wind,” among others.

The Deputy Director stressed the need to add energy transition into the school curriculum to prepare graduates for new job opportunities the energy transition is expected to bring to the economy.

A Senior Research Fellow, Climate and Energy of IPPG, Seth Owusu-Mante, said the energy transition “demands massive investment in modernising power grids, expanding transmission lines, and developing EV charging and hydrogen infrastructure.”

“Many developing countries still lack the necessary systems and technical capacity to support large-scale renewable integration. These deficits make it difficult to ensure reliable power delivery and slow the adoption of clean technology. Bridging this gap will require strong policy commitment, public-private partnerships, and substantial international financial assistance,” he added.

Dr Eric Agyemang, IPPG Policy Analyst, said the training was to equip journalists with the tools to amplify accurate, evidence-based reporting to inform and educate the public by scrutinising policy commitment and holding policymakers accountable.

Yaw Appiah Lartey, Africa Head of Infrastructure, Capital Projects and Real Estate Developers, Deloitte and Touche, took the journalists through the global perspective on financing the energy transition and its implications for Ghana, while Charles Ofori, Policy Lead, Climate Change and Energy Transition, ACEP, made a presentation on “Aligning Oil and Gas Production with Ghana’s Energy Transition and Climate Goals.”

BY ALHAJI SALIFU ABDUL-RAHAMAN