For more than 30 years, Bellona-Gerard Vittor-Quao has worked in Ghana’s energy sector, building a career in corporate communications, media relations and stakeholder engagement.
Today, that experience has taken her into one of the country’s most technically demanding areas of work. She is currently on secondment from the Volta River Authority (VRA) to Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), where she serves as of Manager of Public Affairs for Ghana’s Nuclear Power Project.
Her work has also earned international recognition. She was recently appointed an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert in Communication and Stakeholder Engagement, a role that has taken her experience beyond Ghana and into international nuclear energy assignments.
Her career at VRA began in 1995. Since then, she has worked through major changes in the Authority and Ghana’s energy sector, building experience in corporate communications, stakeholder relations, media engagement and brand management.
She has worked with nine Chief Executives of VRA, an experience that has given her a long institutional view of the Authority and its changing priorities.
Building a communications career at VRA
During her years at VRA, Bellona-Gerard has been involved in several initiatives aimed at improving how the Authority presents itself and engages its stakeholders.
She played a leading role in transforming VRA’s Photography Unit and was involved in the renewal of the Authority’s logo and corporate identity.
She also established VRA Day, which has since evolved into Innovation & Excellence, and developed media initiatives including the Energy Day programme at the Association of Ghana Industries’ Annual Summit.
Her work has brought her into regular contact with government, industry, the media and civil society, giving her experience in communicating with groups that often have different interests and expectations.
Moving into nuclear power
Her current role at NPG has brought a different set of communication challenges.
As Manager of Public Affairs, she is responsible for stakeholder engagement, government relations and public awareness around Ghana’s Nuclear Power Project.
Nuclear power involves technical issues that can be difficult to explain outside specialist circles. Questions around safety, regulation, environmental issues and the long-term impact of nuclear energy also require clear and responsible communication.
Bellona-Gerard has been involved in Ghana’s Nuclear Power Programme from its earlier stages and has followed its development over the years.
That experience has put her in a position to help explain the programme to government, the media and other stakeholders, while also creating opportunities for questions and concerns to be addressed.
Her work has included engagements at the highest levels of government. She facilitated direct discussions with the current President and key officials at the Presidency on outstanding actions requiring government intervention to advance the Nuclear Power Programme and Project.
She has also had the opportunity to brief the current Vice President on the Nuclear Power Project.
An international role
Her appointment as an IAEA expert has added a new dimension to her work.
She has already completed several international assignments in communication and stakeholder engagement, supporting countries working on nuclear power programmes.
Her international experience also includes training and facilitation engagements in Kenya, Ethiopia and Vienna among others. Her work in Ghana has similarly included training media practitioners on nuclear energy issues.
The role requires an understanding of more than communication. It involves working with different groups involved in nuclear programmes and helping ensure that technical information is communicated in a way that is accurate and understandable.
Her experience in Ghana’s energy sector has provided a practical foundation for that work.
Three decades of institutional experience
One of the distinguishing features of Bellona-Gerard’s career is the amount of institutional experience she has accumulated.
Since joining VRA in 1995, she has seen the Authority go through different phases of leadership and development. Working with nine former Chief Executives has exposed her to different management approaches and priorities.
That experience has also given her a broad understanding of how a major public energy institution interacts with government, industry, communities and the media.
For her, communication is not limited to issuing statements or managing publicity. Much of the work involves maintaining relationships, explaining difficult issues and ensuring that stakeholders have an opportunity to engage.
That has become particularly important in the nuclear power programme, where development involves several institutions and requires public understanding over a long period.
Communication and Ghana’s energy future
Bellona-Gerard’s career reflects the changing role of communications in Ghana’s energy industry.
At VRA, her work has included corporate identity, media relations and stakeholder engagement. At NPG, the focus has expanded to include public understanding of nuclear energy and engagement around a major national infrastructure project.
As Ghana works towards introducing nuclear power into its future electricity mix, communication will remain an important part of the process.
For Bellona-Gerard, the task is familiar in principle, even though the subject matter is different: take complex issues, make them understandable, bring the relevant people into the conversation and maintain trust throughout the process.
After more than three decades in Ghana’s energy sector, her appointment as an IAEA expert represents an international extension of that experience and places her among professionals contributing to the communication and stakeholder-engagement work surrounding nuclear power programmes beyond Ghana.
