A seven-member delegation from The Gambia’s State-Owned Enterprises Commission (SOEC) visited Ghana Grid Company LTD. (GRIDCo) to gain first-hand insight into the operations, governance and performance management of Ghana’s State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
The visit was part of a week-long study tour to Ghana, facilitated by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), to help the delegation understand how SOEs operate, manage performance and coordinate their activities within the public sector.
At GRIDCo, the delegation was received by the Chief Executive, Ing. Frank Otchere, and members of Management, who shared insights into the Company’s mandate as Ghana’s electricity transmission utility and its role in maintaining a reliable and stable national grid.
The Director, Corporate Strategy, Mr Samuel Kow Acquah, delivered a presentation on GRIDCo’s operations and strategic direction, highlighting the systems and processes that support electricity transmission across the country.
Mr. Fred Makafui, Manager of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation at SIGA, who led the delegation, explained the purpose of the visit and the delegation’s interest in learning from the experiences of Ghanaian SOEs.
The Executive Secretary of The Gambia’s State-owned Enterprises Commission
(SOEC), Mr Bai Madi Ceesay, also gave an overview of the Commission’s work and expressed enthusiasm about GRIDCo’s operations and the opportunity to learn from its experience.
One of the key highlights of the visit was a tour of GRIDCo’s System Control Centre (SCC), where the delegation gained a closer understanding of how electricity is monitored and managed across the country.
Welcoming the team, the Director of System Operations, Ing. Hussaini Adams, explained GRIDCo’s responsibility for maintaining the reliability, stability and efficiency of electricity transmission through the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS). He described the System Control Centre (SCC) as the nerve centre of Ghana’s electricity transmission network, where power flows are monitored and coordinated in real time to ensure that electricity generated at power plants is transmitted safely and efficiently to bulk supply points for onward distribution.
The delegation was introduced to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which enables GRIDCo’s system operators to monitor the national grid, track network conditions and respond to changes in electricity supply and demand.
With support from Messrs. Frederick Akomeah, Chief Technician Engineer, and Joshua Dankwah, Assistant Chief Technician Engineer, Ing. Adams took the team through key operational processes, including system monitoring, load forecasting and emergency response mechanisms.
The presentation offered the delegation a practical look at the technology and technical expertise that underpin the continuous monitoring and management of Ghana’s electricity transmission network.
Ing. Adams also explained that GRIDCo monitors critical factors, including gas supply and water levels at generating plants, to help operators assess the availability of electricity and plan for changes in demand. He noted that, real-time information on these inputs allows GRIDCo to forecast supply, balance demand against available generation and take timely operational decisions to maintain grid stability. “Adequate fuel and water levels ensure that generating plants can operate at their scheduled capacities. This monitoring is crucial for maintaining system stability and preventing sudden shortages, which could lead to load shedding or power disruptions,” he said.
The visit gave the Gambian delegation an opportunity to see how GRIDCo combines technology, technical expertise and operational coordination to manage the NITS. It also provided a practical perspective on the systems and institutional arrangements that support the GRIDCo’s mandate, offering lessons that could inform discussions on the management and performance of SOEs in Gambia.
Other GRIDCo Management staff present at the engagement were, the Deputy Chief Executive, Finance and Resourcing, Ing. Samuel Nkansah; Director of Internal Audit, Mr Richard Ntim; Mr. Richard Asante (representing the Director, Human Resources); others were the Chief Executive’s Special Assistant, Ing. Papa Kojo Mensah, and Corporate Communications.
