22-05-2025
Shocking new report reveals 'predatory' actions perpetuated by World Bank over recent years: 'Call to action'
A new report has uncovered that the World Bank has reportedly poured about $2 billion into polluting energy projects in Ghana over the past decade, locking the country into dirty energy and leaving the government stuck with unsustainable debt. According to the report, these oil and gas dealings have created significant problems for the nation — and the planet.
An exposé by ActionAid Ghana and the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations — known as SOMO — alleged that these "predatory" dirty energy investments in Ghana favor corporations over citizens and the environment.
As detailed in a strongly worded editorial for Graphic Online by Country Director of ActionAid Ghana John Nkaw and the senior researcher behind the exposé, Luis Scungio, one major issue lies in the debt-causing contracts. Ghana is required to pay for polluting gas even when it isn't used, and electricity agreements often favor foreign oil and gas companies over the Ghanaian public, according to Scungio and Nkaw.
Electricity has become too expensive for many citizens, many communities still depend on firewood and kerosene, and local businesses struggle with frequent power outages and fluctuating electricity costs, the article said.
Energy contracts are set up to put most of the financial risk on the Ghanaian government, per the article. If the country doesn't use as much energy as expected, the government still has to pay, which adds to the country's debt and limits what Ghana can spend on other essential needs.
"What this model consistently fails to answer is: energy for whom?" Scungio and Nkaw asked in their analysis. "Certainly not for the communities in rural northern Ghana who still rely on firewood and kerosene. Not for women who wake up before dawn to walk miles in search of fuel or water. Not for local businesses crippled by power outages and erratic tariffs. In short, not for the people."
These dirty fuel investments have effectively locked Ghana into a polluting energy system, making it far more difficult to transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Gas and oil are major contributors to global pollution, and the more Ghana relies on them, the greater the environmental harm — locally and globally.
"Energy policy is more than a technical checklist of megawatts and infrastructure; it is the very foundation upon which inclusive and sustainable development is built," Nkaw and Scungio wrote. They noted that a nation's energy choices directly shape its "economic trajectory, social equity, and environmental health."
By sinking money into dirty energy, Ghana misses the opportunity to become a leader in renewable energy in West Africa — an opportunity that could create green jobs, reduce pollution, and improve energy access. Instead, the country is burdened with long-term debt that is tied to the destruction of our planet.
While Ghanaians suffer from lack of access, increased prices, and environmental consequences, dirty energy companies profit. As Scungio and Nkaw said, "Meanwhile, oil giants such as Chevron, ENI, Tullow and Shell have reaped the profits, enjoying World Bank-backed financial guarantees, insulating them from financial risks."
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How can Ghana make a change?
Nkaw and Scungio described the new report from their organizations as a "call to action," hoping to shift the country's energy strategy toward "justice, sustainability, and public good."
The report recommends several key steps to move the country forward: an independent audit of Ghana's dirty energy-related debt, reassessment of all existing energy contracts, a shift toward renewable and decentralized energy systems, and a "national dialogue" that brings together government, civil society, women's groups, labor unions, and communities to cocreate a new energy policy rooted in climate justice.
As Nkaw and Scungio said, "Ghana's energy future must be climate-resilient, democratically governed, and free from exploitative fossil fuel arrangements."
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