On today’s TV3 Key Points current affairs programme, several critical points were raised regarding Ghana’s energy situation amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. A key issue highlighted by an expert is the alarming absence of large-capacity storage facilities in Ghana.
The situation means that even if the country secures funds to procure additional crude or refined oils, there is insufficient capacity to store it.
While immediate, magic-wand solutions to create storage facilities do not exist, and dwelling solely on this shortfall is counterproductive, leadership has consistently shied away from the necessary solution: leveraging resources at the ECOWAS regional level
This structural problem, a failure to take control of African affairs, with decisions often managed by external parties has persisted, with few exceptions, since the Berlin Conference of 1884. Due to a legacy of acquiescence by African leaders, policy directions are often dictated from Europe.
Instead of waiting for directives, political heads in West, Central, East, and Southern Africa should as a matter of urgency organize regional summits to navigate these(MMM) mad-man-made problems affecting world trade. West African leadership should convene to assess each nation’s strengths and weaknesses and start implementing a regional “Plant-Pool” method by utilizing collective storage and logistical capacities to ensure survival during this and other crisis.
However, Ghana’s reported decision to withdraw from a London energy summit, citing lack of șubstantial African representation, is a commendable action in the right direction. It sends a message that Ghana is beginning to prioritize African-led dialogue in the energy
sector. This is worth applauding.
