The Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mr. Edward Ekow Obeng-Kenzo, has called on African utility companies to strengthen collaboration and harness the continent’s natural resources to deliver affordable and reliable electricity.
He noted that the existing fragmented approaches and the lack of cooperation among countries in developing power infrastructure continue to hinder Africa’s industrial growth, poverty reduction efforts, and the creation of sustainable employment opportunities.
Mr. Obeng-Kenzo made the call in his opening remarks to set the tone for the commencement of the Executive Committee Meeting of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) in Accra. The Executive Committee is the highest decision-making body of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) which works to realise the vision of providing a strong African Single electricity market and improving the capacity of public power utilities across the continent.
The 60th Annual General Meeting of APUA is happening this week at the Movenpick hotel in Accra Ghana hosted by the Volta River Authority in partnership with the Ghana Grid Company, the Electricity Company of Ghana, Bui Power Authority and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company of Ghana.
VRA Chief Executive Mr. Obeng-Kenzo who doubles as Vice‑President for APUA West Africa noted that “the challenges facing Africa’s electricity sector are complex, but our unity, our expertise, and our shared vision give us strength”.
He stressed that APUA continues to demonstrate that African utilities can lead, innovate, and shape the future of energy on the continent and reminded colleagues that “The work we begin today will resonate throughout the week; during the CEO Leadership and Governance Forum, the AfSEM Forum, the ANCEE Steering Committee meeting, and the APUA‑IRENA capacity‑building sessions”.
The Executive Committee review the Management Report and adopt the 2025 Financial Statements, examine the Independent Auditor’s Report, the Report of the President of the Audit Committee and considered the 2027 provisional budget among other issues.
Touching on the important of the proposed APUA Database Management System (APUA‑DBMS), Mr. Obeng-Kenzo stressed that as Africa’s power sector continues to evolve, data governance, digital readiness, and institutional memory are becoming increasingly strategic.
He emphasised that the DBMS project is central to strengthening the collective intelligence and enabling evidence‑based decision‑making across the continent.
In a related development, Mr. Obeng-Kenzo welcomed delegates to the opening session of the 60th Ordinary General Assembly of APUA, few hours after the Executive Committee meeting.
At the session which was attended by over 200 delegates, Mr. Obeng-Kenzo noted that Africa’s power sector is undergoing profound transformation.
“Utilities are navigating complex challenges such as financial sustainability, infrastructure expansion, renewable integration, digitalization, cybersecurity, and regional market readiness. Yet, we are also witnessing unprecedented opportunities for innovation, investment, and continental cooperation,” he enumerated. He gave the assurance that APUA will continue to play a central role in this transformation.
He emphasised that through its leadership, technical programmes and partnerships with institutions such as AfDB, IRENA, the African Union Commission and AUDA NEPAD, APUA is helping utilities to build capacity, strengthen governance, and prepare for the emerging continental electricity market with its flagship initiative known as African Network of Centers of excellence in Electricity ANCEE.
He encouraged delegates to deliberate with clarity, unity, and a shared sense of purpose, noting that “The decisions we take today will support the work of our CEOs, guide our regional engagements, and reinforce APUA’s position as a pillar of Africa’s energy future”.
The VRA Chief Executive was accompanied to the first day of the Annual General Meetings with Deputy Chief Executive Services Mr. Samuel Fletcher, Deputy Chief Executive Engineering and Operations, Ing. Samuel Odartey Lamptey, and Directors from the Authority.
