President John Dramani Mahama has expressed intentions to revisit the privatisation of power distribution in Ghana, highlighting its necessity for improving efficiency in the country’s energy sector.

The President disclosed these plans during a meeting with a delegation from the World Bank at his private office in Cantonments, Accra.

He stressed the importance of addressing systemic inefficiencies that have plagued the nation’s power value chain, particularly within the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

Reflecting on his tenure as Vice President under the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, President Mahama recounted the launch of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) project.

The initiative aimed to position Ghana as a leading producer and exporter of electricity in Africa by enhancing the sector’s overall efficiency.

“During my time as Vice President, the late President Atta Mills initiated the Millennium Corporation Compact, designed to make Ghana the most efficient electricity producer in Africa and a hub for energy exports,” he said.

“Sadly, while democracy has its dividends, it can sometimes be a curse. The programme’s final phase, intended to improve distribution and metering, was mishandled by subsequent administrations, with the Power Distribution Service (PDS) becoming a thing of the past.”

President Mahama underlined the importance of revisiting privatisation efforts to improve the ECG’s operations.

“If we don’t fix the Electricity Company of Ghana, we will continue to face significant challenges across the entire power value chain,” he noted, signalling his administration’s readiness to re-engage the private sector in electricity distribution.

He added that discussions with the World Bank would be sought to harness the necessary expertise for this initiative.

According to the President, privatising the final phase of power distribution could be key to ensuring sustainable energy solutions and achieving Ghana’s long-term energy goals.