Former Volta River Authority (VRA) Chief Executive Officer, Ing. Kirk Koffi, has called for the construction of a new hydroelectric power plant at Pwalugu to boost energy generation and mitigate flooding in northern Ghana. In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Face to Face on Channel One TV, Ing. Koffi emphasized the strategic importance of the proposed dam for energy security and agricultural productivity.
The proposed Pwalugu dam would improve water management, contribute to Ghana’s food security, and support renewable energy goals, according to Ing. Koffi. “I think we should be looking at the Pwalugu [dam], because of its importance. We should have our own food basket in this country,” he advocated.
Ing. Koffi explained that the current water management system in the northern region leads to significant water spillage and flooding due to the flat terrain, which limits the volume of water feeding into the Akosombo Lake. “That small facility and they are producing many grains, when they spill very little volume, it comes up to the North, and because the place is a bit flat, you see it flooding. It doesn’t even impact much of the inflows into the [Akosombo] lake; it all spreads,” he stated.
He added that building the dam would help contain floods, thereby supporting agricultural productivity and energy generation. “When we build the dam [hydro power plant], it will contain the floods,” Ing. Koffi said.
