Former Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority, Dr John Kingsley Krugu, has called for large-scale investment in solar energy in the Upper East Region as part of a broader industrialisation drive to create sustainable jobs for young people.
Speaking on A1 Radio, Dr Krugu said the region’s climatic conditions should be treated as an economic resource rather than merely a geographical characteristic.
He cited the Upper East Region’s high temperatures and strong solar potential as an opportunity for significant investment in renewable energy.
“I want to see one of the biggest solar plants in the region,” he said.
Dr Krugu questioned why the Upper East, despite its solar potential, has not attracted the scale of investment that could transform its energy and industrial landscape.
According to him, the problem is not necessarily a lack of technical capacity, but the priorities of government.
“No, I don’t think it’s lack of capacity. It’s about priorities,” he said.
Dr Krugu linked investment in solar energy to a broader industrialisation agenda, arguing that the Upper East Region should deliberately build industries around its comparative advantages.
He said such investments could create sustainable employment and reduce the number of young graduates compelled to migrate to southern Ghana in search of decent jobs.
Dr Krugu also referenced President John Dramani Mahama’s call for northern Ghana to industrialise based on its comparative advantages, saying the Upper East Region should translate that principle into concrete investments.
He argued that the region’s current political configuration presents a rare opportunity to push for such investments, with the governing National Democratic Congress controlling all 15 parliamentary seats in the region.
Dr Krugu said the region should take advantage of its current political representation to advocate for investments capable of permanently changing its economic structure.
“We may never get 15 over 15 again,” he said.
He therefore urged the region’s political leadership to “strike the metal when it is hot” and use its influence to attract investments in renewable energy, industrialisation and other sectors with the potential to generate jobs.
According to Dr Krugu, the success of the current political moment should ultimately be measured by whether it creates an economy in which future generations can find decent employment and build sustainable livelihoods within the Upper East Region.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga
