The 9th edition of the Ghana Energy Awards has been launched on Tuesday, the 9th of September at ceremony graced by industry leaders in Accra.

During the launch, organisers and policy makers emphasised the need to leverage energy in driving socio-economic development, highlighting the theme for the event “Repositioning the Energy Sector as a Pillar of National Development,”.

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister, Richard Gyan-Mensah, praised the awards as a platform that has become a “beacon of excellence, innovation, and leadership” in the energy landscape.

He continued that “it does not only celebrate outstanding achievements but also inspires continued commitment to building a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable energy future for our nation.”

Jinapor stressed the importance of energy access to Ghana’s developmental goals. “For a country like Ghana whose socio-economic growth is intimately tied to energy access and reliability, the energy sector is not a mere enabler of development; it is its foundation.”

The annual awards event, organised by the Energy Media Group, and endorsed by the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition and the World Energy Council–Ghana, has since 2017 recognised individuals and institutions for exemplary contributions to Ghana’s energy sector.

The Chairman of the Awarding Panel, Kwame Jantuah, Esq., noted that this year’s theme reflects the critical role of energy in Ghana’s future. “Energy is not just an enabler of development, it is the very engine that powers industry, education, healthcare, digital transformation, and job creation,” he said.

The Event Director and CEO of the Energy Media Group, Ing. Henry Teinor, revealed that the 2025 launch had been moved from its usual May/June window to allow for wider stakeholder engagement. Courtesy calls were conducted with sector leaders to introduce the scheme, gather feedback from last year’s edition, and align with evolving policy priorities.

“This proactive outreach underscores our dedication to inclusivity and deeper sectoral engagement,” Ing. Teinor stated, noting that further engagements will continue after the launch.

This year’s edition will feature twenty-six competitive and six honorary categories. Core awards include Energy Personality of the Year, CEO of the Year, and Energy Company of the Year. New awards include Energy Sector Reformer of the Year, Upstream Company of the Year, Downstream Company of the Year, Energy Sector Operational Resilience Award, and Emerging Female Leader in Energy.

Beyond the annual celebration, the organisers stressed that the Ghana Energy Awards is designed to create a lasting impact on society. Ing. Teinor noted that what distinguishes the scheme is its commitment to initiatives such as the Energy Personalities Outreach Programme (EPOP), which is a STEM initiative where the Energy Personalities of the Year (Male and Female) engage with students of a Second Cycle Institution, seeking to inspire and nurture the next generation of energy leaders. The programme has so far reached over 15,000 Senior High School students nationwide.