A Nuclear Regulatory Scientist, Dr Ernest Sanyare Warmann Beinpuo, has described as a “misguided,” belief that privatising the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) holds the key to solving Ghana's electricity challenges.

President John Dramani Mahama recently said the possibility of privatising the country’s power distributor to help resolve longstanding challenges such as operational inefficiencies, financial mismanagement and inadequate service delivery.

But Dr Beinpuo in an interview with Ghana News Agency strongly opposed any suggestion to privatise ECG saying, “Privatisation does not guarantee efficiency or affordability.”

“Instead, it often leads to higher tariffs and reduced access for low-income households. If the government is considering privatisation, they should begin by addressing inefficiencies in the generation and transmission sectors, which are significant contributors to the country’s power problems, before even thinking about handing over the distribution arm to private entities.”

The Radiation Protection expert believed ECG as a strategic national asset, had the potential to generate revenue, create jobs, and drive industrial growth if managed effectively and that privatising it risked handing over control of a critical public utility to private interests that prioritised profits over public welfare.

“The government should focus on implementing strong governance, addressing corruption, and investing in modern infrastructure to make ECG profitable and sustainable. Ghana’s energy future must remain in the hands of the state to ensure equitable and affordable electricity for all citizens.”

Dr Beinpuo said if the government could not manage such a vital national asset profitably, “then perhaps it is the government itself that needs restructuring, not ECG,” citing examples from China.

“The success of Chinese state institutions in managing electricity generation, transmission, and distribution profitably demonstrates that state-owned enterprises can thrive under competent management. These institutions also manage other critical sectors like water and telecommunications efficiently,” he said.