Ghana has secured a $13 million grant from the Japanese government to enhance and stabilize electricity supply in Tamale, a major urban hub in the Northern Region.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced that he had signed an Exchange of Notes with Japan’s Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Yoshimoto Hiroshi, to formalize the grant agreement.

The funding, amounting to 1.92 billion Japanese Yen, will be directed toward improving Tamale’s power infrastructure to ensure a more reliable electricity supply.

Expressing his satisfaction with the development, Mr. Ablakwa highlighted the importance of the initiative in addressing the city’s growing energy demands.

“This project and many others under discussion highlight the outstanding bond of friendship between Ghana and Japan,” he stated.

Meanwhile, concerns over power theft in the Northern Region have been raised by the Acting Managing Director of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), John Okine Yamoah. He disclosed that five out of every ten houses in the Northern Area are likely engaged in illegal power connections, with most cases recorded in the Tamale Metropolis and Yendi Municipality.

According to Mr. Yamoah, NEDCo suffers significant financial losses due to power theft, with 45% of distributed electricity lost each month in the region. He further revealed that illegal connections account for 70 to 80% of these losses, exacerbating challenges in the local electricity sector.

The $13 million grant from Japan is expected to play a vital role in stabilizing Tamale’s power supply, but authorities acknowledge that addressing power theft remains a pressing issue in ensuring sustainable electricity distribution.