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Rocky55 Blog of Monday, 13 January 2025

Source: Isaac Appiah

 The World Bank has pledged continuing technical and financial support to improve Ghana’s agriculture for enhanced food production for local con­sumption and export.

He said Ghana had the capacity to produce enough food to feed herself and export to other African countries.

The Regional Vice President for West and Central, Ousmane Diaga­na, made the pledge here yesterday after his working visit to Asutsuare.

He was there to inspect some projects on the $150 million West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP).

Some of the projects he in­spected are the Kpong Irrigation Scheme and Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Scheme, Agropole, being supported in their rehabilitation to boost commercial and small-scale farming in the Accra plains.

As part of the tour, Mr Diagana visited Gel Banana Farms, Golden Exotics Limited and Smallholder Rice Farms which are utilising the irrigation schemes.

The objective of the visit was to see the progress of work on the project and interact with beneficiary farmers.

The FRSP is a Government of Ghana and World Bank-funded programme being implemented un­der the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The FRSP Ghana project which is a sequel to the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project, has received an initial funding of $150 million from the International Development Association (IDA).

The project, which started in June 2023 and expected to be com­pleted in September 2028, has the objective to increase the country’s preparedness against food insecu­rity and improve the resilience of food systems in Ghana through the construction of irrigation schemes across the country in order to en­sure all-year-round commercial and small-scale farming.

After the tour of the proj­ects, Mr Diagana said the country needed to reform her agriculture to become food systems resilient and the World Bank would continue to support Ghana in that direction.

He said agriculture was essential to promote food security, job creation, poverty reduction and that “No country can achieve food secu­rity without investing in agriculture in agriculture.”

The Project Coordinator of the FRSP Ghana, Mr Osei Owu­su-Agyeman, said as part of the project, the two irrigation schemes were being rehabilitated to boost agriculture in the area.

He said road infrastructure, and warehouses had be constructed to help store the food crops produced in the area.

Mr Owusu-Agyeman said smart-climate interventions has been introduced to help the farmers withstand the effects of climate change.

The Managing Director of Pel’s Farms Trading Limited, Ms Priscilla Adom Tawiah, appealed to the World Bank for matching grants to support the investors by utilising the two irrigation schemes for agri­cultural purposes.

She said credit was a big chal­lenge facing the investors, saying it was expensive to rely on bank loans to finance their agricultural operations.

The Divisional Chief of Tsangmer and Acting Chief of Asutsuare l, Nene Narh Guamatsu IV, in his remarks indicated that the Osudoku Traditional Area had vast lands for agricultural purposes and the rehabilitation of the irrigation schemes would help increase food productivity in the area.

That, he said, would also help promote the country’s food resil­ience and security.

Nene Narh Guamatsu IV appealed to the government to involve the chiefs and traditional authorities of the area in the allo­cation of the Accra Plains lands to investors for agricultural purposes, saying the chiefs and traditional authorities were left out in such negotiations.

 FROM KINGSLEY ASARE, ASUTSUARE

Albert Oppong-Ansah 

Abu Dhabi (UAE) Jan. 12, GNA-The 15th session of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) opened today with a call on countries to make conscious decisions towards including renewable energy in their generation mix.

This will help reduce emission contributing to climate crisis and ensure prosperity and sustainability.

 Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources, including sunshine, wind, geothermal and hydro, that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed.

 “Let us use the IRENA Assembly as a platform to forge partnerships, share best practices, and advance the solutions that will shape the renewable energy systems of tomorrow and critically create resilient and prosperous societies,” Mr Francesco La Camera, IRENA Director-General, said at the opening of the session in Abu Dhabi.

 Under the theme, “Accelerating the Renewable Energy Transition – The Way Forward,” the two-day meetings brought together ministers and high-level delegates from IRENA’s 139 Member States, academia, development banks, chief executives and youth, to enhance wider, cross-sectoral collaboration on the energy transition.

 Over the period, key discussions would focus on tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, enhancing ambition in Nationally Determined Contributions, supporting transitions in emerging economies, and leveraging innovative financial flows in developing countries. 

Mr La Camera said renewable energy offered a path forward – a means to reduce dependence on finite resources, stabilise energy costs, and empower countries to harness their domestic resources for energy independence.

 “2024 was the first year that IRENA delivered on its new mandate to monitor progress in implementing the global pledge from the United Arab Emirate consensus to triple renewables and double efficiency,” he said. 

 “However, despite our progress in certain areas, the world remains off track to deliver on its promise. The energy transition cannot be viewed as a mere response to a crisis but a proactive strategy to get on the 1.5-degree pathway and ensure long-term stability, equity, and sustainability in the global energy landscape”.  

Mr. Bojan Kumer, the President of the 15th IRENA Assembly, said the urgency of the global missions was critical and renewable energy sources were indispensable in the journey to decarbonization and a sustainable future for all. 

 “Let me also emphasise that we are also at a critical time for accelerating our efforts to triple renewable energy capacity. “We understand that the principle of a just global transition is on our minds,” he said, adding that synergy was required between the deployment of renewable energy technology to address energy poverty.

  Mr Kumer who is the Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy of Slovenia, reiterated the need for countries to focus on translating the shared vision into actions.

Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates, said, “The world around us is changing, constantly and rapidly. Climate change is no longer on the way, it is knocking on the door.” 

She urged countries to take steps to reduce emission using key enablers of the energy transition, including technology, financing and skills and capacities development. 

 “While the challenges we face are immense, so is our potential to overcome them. Together, we have the tools, the knowledge, and the determination to shape a future where renewable energy powers prosperity and sustainability for all. Let us move forward with ambition and shared purpose,” Dr Al Dahak added. 

Mr António Guterres, UN Secretary General, said “We must move faster to bring the great benefits of clean power to all and to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius”. 

That, he said, required urgent action with governments charting a just transition away from fossil fuels towards clean energy in their new national climate action plans due this year.

“These must align with the 1.5-degree limit – as promised,” he said.

 Mr Seth Mahu, Director of Renewable Energy at the Energy Ministry said Ghana was taking steps to increase renewable energy share and that nearly 30 percent of the country’s energy was being generated through renewable energy with plans to increase it by 10 per cent by 2030. 

He said with the coming on stream of about 60 megawatts (MW) solar projects-10MW at Yendi, and 50MW at Bui Power Authority’s Generating Station this year, Ghana’s renewable energy installed capacity would increase to close to about 260 MW.

 Mr Mahu noted that the total installed capacity of the mini-grid would account for approximately 4.8 percent of the total modern renewable energy (wind, solar) in the country’s energy generation mix.

 “Keeping in mind the target of 10 per cent by 2030, we will be able to meet that and probably exceed it looking at the number of projects underway and those coming on stream. Our renewable energy capacity may shoot to almost about 1,000 MW or even 1,400 MW by 2030,” he said. 

Mr Mahu said all the projects contributed to the ongoing global conversation on sustainability, improving health, and reducing emissions.
GNA