Ghana Roundup: Nigeria vs Ghana, power outages, African Games

Nigeria defeats Ghana in friendly

Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 in a friendly match, showcasing resilience and determination on both sides. Despite being down to 10 men, Ghana put up a strong fight, but ultimately Nigeria secured the win with a penalty and a late goal. Nigeria's upcoming match against Mali and Ghana's upcoming match against Uganda are highly anticipated, promising further competitive football action.

Power outages

The Independent Power Generators, Ghana (IPGG) has accused the Volta River Authority (VRA), the main generator and supplier of electricity in Ghana of excessively exporting electricity to neighbouring countries, causing power outages. The IPGG's CEO, Dr Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, argues that the VRA is not meeting its domestic obligations and is exporting the most affordable hydro generation to neighbouring countries. “It is a great disservice to mother Ghana and Ghanaians for VRA to be exporting the most affordable hydro generation to neighbouring countries – Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin whilst the Ministry of Energy, PURC [Public Utilities Regulator Commission] and ECG [Electricity Company of Ghana] remain unconcerned and force the Ghanaian taxpayers pay for the expensive thermal generation and also sleep in the dark”, Apetorgbor is quoted by local media Adom Online.

Medal haul at African Games

Ghana won 68 medals at the African Games, the largest haul in the West African nation's history after hosting the sports event in its capital city, Accra. Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo praised Ghanaians for their confidence in hosting the 13th African Games. “Let the success of these games serve as a catalyst to invest further in sports development and empower the youth to reach greater heights on the international stage. Our nation won a total of 68 medals - 19 gold, 29 silver, and 20 bronze - by far the largest haul in our nation’s history at this prestigious event,” said the president in a congratulatory message on March 23, local media Joy Online reported.

Public debt soars

Ghana's public debt reached GH₵610 billion (approximately $49.952 billion) as of December 2023, a 26.85% increase from the previous year’s GH₵446.3 billion (approximately $34.352 billion), indicating a significant debt burden. This represents 72.5% of the country's GDP. Despite the nation’s domestic debt exchange program, Ghana's year-to-date public debt level soared by GH₵163.7 billion (approximately $12.6 billion), according to the Bank of Ghana (BoG). Positively, there was an increase in Ghana's Nominal GDP from GH₵614.3 billion (approximately $ 47.283 billion) to GH₵841.6 billion (approximately $ 64.779 billion) indicating a rise in the nation's total economic production, local media Daily Guide Network reports.

Calls to host World Rugby tournaments

Rugby Africa President Herbert Mensah believes Ghana should host future World Rugby competitions due to its potential to become a destination for prominent international sporting events. He emphasized Ghana's state-of-the-art rugby stadium at the University of Ghana Rugby Stadium in Accra. "As President of Rugby Africa, I’m going to my board, I’m also on the Council for World Rugby, that Ghana should be considered as a place where we should be staging world competitions if we can keep the maintenance up. If we can bring World Rugby competitions here, at least 2 or perhaps 3," Mensah is quoted by local media Peace Online.