The College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS) invites the University community to a Lecture as follows:
| Topic: | Ghana’s Economic Development Challenge: The Energy Factor |
| Speaker: | Prof. Thomas Mba Akabzaa (Chief Director, Ministry of Petroleum) |
| Date: | Thursday, 30th April, 2015 |
| Time: | 4:00 pm |
| Venue: | Great Hall, University of Ghana |
| Chairman: | Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Provost College of Basic and Applied Sciences |
Synopsis
Ghana is currently implementing a country growth and development strategy in phases aimed at scaling up to upper middle income status. However, this effort is hampered by the country’s inability to provide reliable energy on sustained basis.
Economic growth and energy demand are strongly correlated. Every dollar invested in reliable and affordable energy, resonates into $15 dollars addition to GDP. Yet in Ghana, sustained supply of reliable and affordable energy has been illusive, particularly, in the last twenty five years with episodic crisis as we have today. Electricity generation lags behind economic growth.
I provide, in this presentation, the state of the sector and the technical, financing and policy prescriptions required to deliver reliable and affordable energy to businesses and homes. The importance of other forms of energy other than electricity, though acknowledged, will not be elaborated. Electricity generating options – Large hydro, thermal, renewable and nuclear – will be explored.
The optimal generation mix, efficiency of power utilities, other market participants and the creation of enabling environment, for an efficient power sector, all need policy and regulatory guidance. Generation insufficiency, cyclical extreme weather effects on hydro facilities, transmission and distribution deficiencies, credibility of off-takers, appropriateness of fuel for generation and institutional and regulation capacity are underpinned by poor planning in the sector. A number of policy and regulatory interventions to address the above include closer collaboration among government, industry and research and academic institutions.
Profile
Thomas Mba Akabzaa holds Bachelors and PhD degrees in Geology with Physics and Geology, respectively, from the University of Ghana, and an M.ENG Degree in Mining Engineering (Mineral Economics option) from McGill University, Canada. He also has several post graduate diplomas and certificates of participation in Mining Projects evaluation, Environmental Geochemistry, Mining environmental management, Extractive Resource Management, Environmental and Regulatory Monitoring of the Gas and Gas Industry, Project Management for Senior Executives, Petroleum Economics and Risk Management from several institutions around the World.
He was Head of the Department of Geology( now Department of Earth Science) from 2008 to 2010, during which period he led his colleagues in the revision of the department’s academic programmes to include professional development courses, new post graduate programmes in Petroleum Geosciences and Modular Masters programmes in Water Resources and Mineral Exploration. He was also instrumental in the change of the name of the Department from Geology to Department of Earth Science to reflect its programmes coverage and global trends.
His academic and research interests are in the areas of Mining Sector Investment Appraisal; Mining and the Environment; Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development, Petroleum systems, Water Quality and vulnerability Studies, Global Environmental Changes and Economic Development and Global Initiatives in the extractive Sector. He has led numerous research and training programmes in several African countries. He has more than fifty publications to his credit.
Prof Akabzaa is on leave of absence from the University and currently Chief Director of the Ministry of Petroleum.
All are cordially invited
