The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is diversifying its business operations to include provision of telecommunication services to customers.
Managing Director of ECG, Samuel Boakye-Appiah, said the company was leveraging on its network assets to deploy fibre and partner with other telecommunication companies to provide data, internet and other related services to Ghanaians.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times on the sidelines of the 2019 Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Africon Conference in Accra yesterday, he stated that currently, feasibility on the re-use of ECG’s power infrastructure assets to establish the utility telecommunication business was underway, after which a blueprint would be developed for the project.
He said the move was in support of government’s digitalisation agenda.
The three-day event which brought together more than 400 participants from across the globe to discuss advancing engineering and technology for the benefit of humanity was under the theme “Powering African’s sustainable energy for all: The role of ICT and Engineering.”
It would focus on various fields including power and energy systems, engineering and technology for development, electrical and electronic systems, communication networks, cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT) and computational intelligence.
Mr Boakye-Appiah noted that the ECG was leveraging on its experience and knowledge in electricity distribution sector to provide consultancy services in energy support and allied services.
The ECG Training School was also being repositioned as a centre for training in electricity distribution and renewable energy in the West Africa sub-region in addition to the company’s defined roles in the concessionaire transaction agreement, he added.
He reiterated the importance of sustainable energy in furthering development of Africa and called on the private sector to make available the needed investments in sustainable energy resources to power the continent.
“Sustainable energy delivery in Africa is not an option. Sustainable energy is key to the technological, social and economic development of the continent. We need a convergence of varied interests and backgrounds to provide enduring solutions to pursue the path of sustainable energy,” the Managing Director added.
Dr George Eduful, chairman of IEEE Ghana Section, said the conference provides the platform for scientists and engineers to share solutions to engineering and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) challenges as well as identify sustainable energy trends to support the efforts by countries to improve lives.
“It is all about sharing ideas and tested solutions by various scientists and engineers. We discuss these solutions and how it can help individual countries in the area of ICT and engineering,” he stated.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
