The ninth edition of the Ghana Energy Awards, a platform for showcasing the best of Ghana’s energy sector and advancing its development and transformation, has been launched at a ceremony in Accra.

The launch also marked the opening of nominations for the recognition of excellence and innovation of individuals, institutions and organisations in the energy sector.

The nominations have been divided into two categories —competitive and non-competitive.  

Up to 26 awards are up for grabs in the competitive category, which include Energy Personality of the Year, CEO of the Year, Energy Company of the Year, Energy Institution of the Year, Visionary Leadership Award,  and Local Content Innovative Award.

The non-competitive category is the Osagyego Young Leadership Award, Women in Energy Excellence, Exemplary Leadership, Lifetime Achievement, West Africa Exceptional Energy Leadership and Energy Sector Reformer of the Year awards.

This year’s awards are on the theme: “Repositioning the energy sector as a pillar of national development”. 

Launch

At the launch of the awards, the Deputy Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Richard Gyan-Mensah, stressed the need for stakeholders to not only converge and celebrate one another but also collaborate in areas of mutual interest to advance the energy agenda.

He said this year’s theme aligned with the government’s reset agenda, which aimed at ensuring stability, driving goods and making energy central to industrialisation, job growth and sustainable development.

The deputy minister said the government was committed to advancing energy efficiency and safety while ensuring clean energy deployment.

In line with that, he said the ministry's renaming to the Ministry of Energy and to include Green Transition was a clear demonstration of the government's resolve towards achieving net zero emissions.

“This commitment is not in name only, but practically reflects the bold and diverse green initiative we have,” he said.

He added that to further this ambition, the government has established the Renewable Energy and Green Transition Fund as part of its National Energy Transition Plan.

The fund is meant to support great projects and attract sustainable investment in green energy infrastructure and innovation.

Nuclear energy

On nuclear energy, Mr Gyan-Mensah said the government had advanced phase two of the International Atomic Energy Agency programme that completed 60 per cent of the site's acquisition process and added that the cabinet approved the reformation of the National Nuclear Energy Programme.

“Ghana is now well-positioned to harness nuclear energy as a reliable and sustainable power source.

Energy is about human lives at the most basic level,” he stated, adding that on the distribution side, the government was modernising infrastructure to reduce losses, improve service reliability, and support growing demand. 

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Energy Media Group, the organisers of the awards, Henry Teinor, said the award scheme was not only marking its ninth edition, but honouring the collective legacy dedicated to redefining excellence across the energy value chain.

“Over the past nine years, this platform has consistently challenged conventional norms, celebrated transformative leadership, and raised the bar for achievement in the sector,” he stated.

To ensure transparency, fairness and robust competitive process, the CEO announced a new and important endorsement from the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) to further enrich the award scheme’s engagements and deepen its impact across the sector.

Mr Teinor added that it sets the Ghana Energy Awards apart as its enduring commitment to driving real, lasting impact went beyond the ceremony itself.

One such initiative, he said, was the Energy Personalities Outreach Programme (EPOP), which had already empowered over 15,000 senior high school (SHS) students across Ghana.

It allows the Energy Personalities of the Year (Male and Female) to interact directly with SHS students, inspiring the next generation of energy leaders.