Ghanaian communications specialist recognised by VRA, GAEC and IAEA for expertise in nuclear stakeholder engagement
Bellona-Gerard Vittor-Quao’s appointment as an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert in communication and stakeholder engagement is drawing recognition from institutions that have followed her work in Ghana’s energy and nuclear sectors.
The Volta River Authority (VRA), VRA Senior Staff Association (SSA), and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), together with the IAEA National Liaison Office, have commended her professional record and her contribution to communication and stakeholder engagement around Ghana’s nuclear power programme.
Her appointment places her among experts supporting countries that are developing nuclear power programmes and need to build the institutional and public engagement capacity required for such programmes.
She has already completed her first IAEA Expert Mission in Uganda, giving her an opportunity to apply her experience in an international setting and share lessons from Ghana’s nuclear power development process.
For Ghana, the appointment also highlights the growing importance of communication alongside the technical, regulatory and financial work involved in developing a nuclear power programme.
From VRA to Nuclear Power Ghana
Vittor-Quao was seconded by the VRA to Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) in August 2020, initially serving as Communications Manager.
In a joint commendation, GAEC and the IAEA National Liaison Office said she had demonstrated professional excellence, discipline and innovative approaches to communication and stakeholder engagement.
The institutions also highlighted her growing understanding of Ghana’s nuclear power programme and her contribution to public awareness, stakeholder involvement and institutional collaboration.
Her experience has developed at a time when Ghana’s nuclear programme has required sustained engagement with government agencies, technical institutions, the media, communities and other stakeholders.
VRA management also formally congratulated her on the IAEA appointment.
In a June 27, 2025 letter signed by Acting Chief Executive Edward E. Obeng-Kenzo, the Authority described the appointment as recognition of her professional work and said it was proud of her selection by the IAEA.
Management also assured her of its continued support and expressed confidence in her contribution to NPG and the Authority.
Backing from the VRA staff association
The VRA Senior Staff Association also welcomed the appointment.
In a May 30, 2025 letter, the Association’s National Executive Council said Vittor-Quao’s recognition reflected the professional excellence, discipline and innovation she had demonstrated during her time at VRA and subsequently at NPG.
The Association said her appointment showed that her expertise could contribute beyond Ghana and at the international level.
Its National Chairman, Theophilus T. Ahia, formally congratulated her on the achievement.
The separate messages from VRA management and the Senior Staff Association provide institutional backing for an appointment that has taken her professional experience from Ghana’s public energy sector into an international technical setting.
What the IAEA assignment means
The IAEA uses expert missions and advisory services to provide member states with technical guidance, international experience and support in applying relevant standards and approaches.
The assignments can cover different areas of nuclear programme development, including communication and stakeholder engagement.
In Vittor-Quao’s case, her expertise is being applied to the communication side of nuclear power development, where countries need to establish channels for engaging government institutions, regulators, communities, the media and the wider public.
Her first expert mission in Uganda has provided an early opportunity to work within that framework.
GAEC and the IAEA National Liaison Office said the successful mission was particularly significant in Africa and reflected the experience Ghana has developed in communicating around its own nuclear power programme.
The communication challenge
Nuclear power projects involve decisions that can take years to develop and affect a wide range of institutions and communities.
That makes stakeholder engagement an important part of the process. Governments and nuclear institutions have to explain technical issues, provide information to stakeholders and maintain communication as programmes move through different stages.
For Ghana, which is working towards developing its first nuclear power plant, this communication function forms part of the wider institutional preparation for nuclear power.
Vittor-Quao’s work at NPG has placed her within that process, while the IAEA appointment gives her an opportunity to take lessons from Ghana into engagements with other countries developing nuclear programmes.
Taking Ghanaian experience abroad
The commendations from VRA, the VRA Senior Staff Association, GAEC and the IAEA National Liaison Office point to a professional journey that began within Ghana’s public energy sector and has expanded into the country’s nuclear power programme.
Her secondment to NPG in 2020 gave her a specialised role in communicating a complex and long-term national project. Her subsequent appointment as an IAEA expert now provides a platform to contribute to similar efforts in other newcomer countries.
The Uganda mission is an early step in that international role.
For Ghana’s nuclear sector, the appointment also demonstrates that expertise developed locally in stakeholder engagement and public communication can contribute to the wider African and international nuclear conversation.
As more countries explore nuclear power as part of their long-term energy strategies, the need extends beyond engineers, scientists and regulators. Communication professionals with an understanding of the technical and institutional environment will also be required to help governments and nuclear institutions engage the public and other stakeholders throughout the process.
