Mr. Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, the Director of Renewable Energy, Bui Power Authority, has delivered UENR’s 10th Anniversary Public Lecture series on the topic “Sustainable Energy for Socio-economic and Industrial Transformation in Africa” on October 6, 2022 at UENR Auditorium, Sunyani. The Public Lecture was held as part of the series of activities outlined to commemorate UENR’s 10th anniversary celebration under the theme; ‘‘A Decade of Academic Excellence in Energy and Natural Resources Education: Commemorating the Past, Celebrating the Present and Shaping the Future for National Development.” The climax of the Anniversary is slated for December 2022.
Mr. Ahiataku-Togobo’s Lecture focused on the role hydro, nuclear power, and natural gas will play in achieving an industrial transformation in Africa; the key building blocks for releasing sustainable socio-economic development. He revealed that no country has been able to industrialize on the backbone of electricity generation from oil disclosing that emission produced as a result of power generation using oil has posed main challenges to the African continent which have to be addressed by focusing more on less cost of fuel for generating electricity. He therefore recommended value addition to the numerous natural resources in energy and the agriculture sectors and called on Africans to invest more into exploring their natural resources which will generate revenue within the continent to help solve issues of poverty, deforestation and climate, which underpins its growth. The Lecture was Chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Elvis Asare-Bediako, who chaired the lecture, commended the Public Lectures Committee and the 10th Anniversary Planning Committee for organising the public lecture to engage and lead this conversation which will shape the discourse for policy reforms. He further thanked Mr. Andrew Ahiataku-Togobo for sharing his knowledge on sustainable energy.
The lecture was attended by staff, students, corporate organisations in the energy sector and the general public.
