The Mahama administration is set to roll out solar-powered irrigation pumps nationwide to enhance agricultural productivity.
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, announced this initiative at the seventh meeting of the International Solar Alliance regional committee for Africa.
The project aims to reduce reliance on rain-fed farming and improve resilience in the agriculture sector. Jinapor explained, “For some part of the country, for close to like six months during the dry season, because our farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture, they virtually have nothing to do.” With solar irrigation pumps, Ghanaians will be able to engage in productive all-year-round farming.
Collaboration with India and International Support
Ghana has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with India to learn from their experience in solar irrigation pumps. “India has pioneered it and we want to learn from them. They have agreed that they will work and collaborate with us so that we can install these solar pumps,” Jinapor added.
The International Solar Alliance has announced a $200 million facility to accelerate the adoption of solar solutions across Africa. “We were proud and privileged to have 19 ministers from African countries and 39 countries represented,” said Ashish Khanna, Director-General of the International Solar Alliance.
Key Highlights of the Initiative
- African Solar Facility: A blended catalytic finance initiative designed to de-risk solar investments, mobilize local resources, and attract private capital.
- Funding: $200 million facility with the first $75 million to be operationalized before the end of 2025, leveraging investments of over $800 million in decentralized renewable energy.
- Objective: Scalable, sustainable, and bankable solar projects advancing ISA’s focus on action-oriented, country-led implementation.
The rollout of solar-powered irrigation pumps is expected to significantly boost Ghana’s agricultural productivity, enabling farmers to cultivate crops year-round and reducing reliance on rain-fed agriculture.
