Ghana’s nuclear power programme must be matched by a deliberate investment in skills, decent jobs and local industrial capacity if the country is to secure the full economic benefits of nuclear energy, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana has said.
TUC Secretary-General Joshua Ansah said nuclear power could provide the reliable electricity Ghana needs to support industrialisation while creating high-quality jobs and strengthening local businesses.
Speaking at the US-Africa Energy Summit in Accra on the theme “Building and Sustaining Africa’s Nuclear Workforce,” Mr Ansah said Ghana’s industrial ambitions were being constrained by an energy system that was either unreliable or costly.
“Our conviction, after associating with the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme and its projects, is that the successful deployment of nuclear energy has the potential to support our industrialisation, improve energy security, create high-quality jobs, strengthen local industries and contribute to long-term economic growth,” he said.
But Mr Ansah said the success of Ghana’s nuclear programme should not be judged only by the infrastructure eventually built.
He said the country would also have to develop a workforce with the technical competence, safety culture and professional standards required to operate and maintain a nuclear industry.
TUC calls for national skills strategy
Mr Ansah called for workforce development to be treated as a national priority, backed by sustained investment in education, technical and vocational training, research and professional development.
He said the Ghana Nuclear Power Programme Organisation (GNPPO) should be adequately resourced and empowered to coordinate the efforts of government, educational institutions, industry and organised labour.
According to him, Ghana needs a continuous system for developing the skills required by the nuclear industry rather than waiting until the plants are ready before training workers.
He also called for deliberate pathways for young people and women to enter nuclear-related careers, saying access to education must be matched with real employment opportunities.
The TUC wants structured apprenticeships, internships and professional development programmes developed with Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG) and the Nuclear Power Institute (NPI).
Mr Ansah said organised labour would also push for decent work, fair labour standards and safe working conditions throughout the nuclear value chain.
He said strong occupational health, safety, security and environmental standards would be essential as Ghana develops the sector.
Public confidence will be critical
Mr Ansah also stressed the need for sustained engagement between government, employers, workers and communities.
He said public confidence would be important to the success of the nuclear programme and could not be built without an informed public and transparent institutions.
The TUC, he said, would support research, knowledge-sharing and labour education to help workers prepare for the technological changes that would come with the nuclear industry.
He said the union was committed to working with government and key nuclear institutions to build a workforce that was technically competent, protected at work and capable of meeting international standards.
“The future of nuclear power in Ghana will depend on our ability to attract, train, retain and empower the next generation of professionals,” he said.
Mr Ansah said this would require sustained investment in education, stronger partnerships between industry and educational institutions, and greater opportunities for young people and women.
“Reactors may generate electricity, but it is people who generate progress,” he said.
Ghana builds nuclear training capacity
Prof. Abdulai Baba Salifu, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), said Ghana had already made progress in building the institutions and skills base needed to support its nuclear ambitions.
He said the country was advancing towards the completion of Phase II of its nuclear power programme under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Milestones Approach.
“We are no longer merely talking about nuclear power. We are preparing to live it,” Prof. Salifu said.
He pointed to the establishment of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority and Nuclear Power Ghana as evidence of the country’s progress, alongside ongoing engagements with local and international partners.
Prof. Salifu said Ghana had also deliberately positioned itself as a regional centre for nuclear workforce development.
In 2023, the US Department of Energy and GAEC established the Regional Energy Training Center (RETC), which has since trained participants from Ghana and other African countries in integrated energy systems, energy modelling, leadership, stakeholder engagement and project management.
He said the centre was helping to build expertise that would be required for major energy projects across the continent.
Training expands beyond nuclear
Prof. Salifu said Ghana had also expanded its technical training capacity through the US Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Programme.
Under the programme, Ghana commissioned a NuScale Full-scope Energy Exploration Center and launched an internationally accredited welding instructor certification programme in partnership with the Design and Technology Institute (DTI).
He said the initiatives were strengthening the pool of skilled workers needed for nuclear power and other strategic infrastructure projects.
Ghana is also contributing to regional nuclear education through the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences at the University of Ghana, which has been designated an AFRA Regional Centre for nuclear education.
Prof. Salifu said the school, which has trained professionals from across Africa since its establishment in 2006, was helping to address the continent’s shortage of skilled workers across the nuclear value chain.
That includes scientists, engineers, regulators and technicians who will be needed as more African countries pursue nuclear energy.
