Ghana’s manufacturing sector is facing renewed pressure as the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) warns that recent power disruptions have exposed a critical vulnerability in the country’s production systems, raising concerns over industrial resilience in an already high-cost operating environment.
The Association maintains that energy has now moved beyond a cost input to a structural constraint on industrial growth, directly shaping output levels, investment decisions and competitiveness across key manufacturing segments.
In his address at the Sustainable Energy B2B Expo 2026 under the theme “Powering Industry through Sustainable Energy,” the President of AGI, Dr.Pharm. Kofi Nsiah-Poku, said the recurring energy challenges highlight the urgent need to rethink Ghana’s energy architecture if industrial transformation is to be sustained.
He warned that manufacturers are increasingly operating under pressure from rising production costs and tightening global sustainability requirements.
“Energy remains the lifeblood of industrial growth. Without reliable, affordable and sustainable power, industries cannot expand and businesses cannot compete effectively,” he said.
Dr. Nsiah-Poku further stressed that Ghana’s industrial ambitions, including efforts toward a 24-hour economy, remain at risk without stable and uninterrupted power supply.
“Ghana’s ambition of building a strong industrial economy and sustaining a 24-hour economy cannot be achieved without stable and uninterrupted power supply,” he added.
He also stressed that : “Sustainable energy can no longer be treated as an alternative discussion on the sidelines of development. It must become central to our industrial strategy,” he stressed.
Dr. Nsiah-Poku also highlighted AGI’s Energy Service Centre as a practical intervention to support firms with efficiency solutions and renewable integration. “It represents AGI’s commitment to helping industries transition into a future where sustainability and profitability work hand in hand,” he said.
For his part, GIZ Cluster Coordinator for Energy and Climate, Gunnar Wegner, said the energy transition is fundamentally a competitiveness issue. He likened renewable energy adoption to “moving into your own house,” where businesses are insulated from recurring fuel costs and external price shocks.
Wegner said renewable energy and efficiency investments offer both cost savings and sustainability benefits, adding that the private sector remains central to driving the transition.
The Expo also featured partners including GIZ, Swisscontact, UN Global Compact Network Ghana, ClimateWorks Foundation, Catalonia Trade & Investment, AHK Ghana and the Energy Commission. Speakers stressed collaboration, financing, innovation and policy support.
Participants engaged in exhibitions, networking sessions and innovation discussions linking businesses to sustainable energy solutions, reaffirming AGI’s push for cleaner, more efficient industrial energy systems.