In this episode of Blindspot Africa, Dr. Charles G. Ofori speaks with Dr. Juliet Twumasi-Anokye Chairperson of the Council of the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA), about the importance of fair competition in West Africa and its implications for the energy sector.
The conversation explores how competition regulation protects consumers, prevents dominant companies from abusing their market power, and discourages practices such as price-fixing, cartels, and bid-rigging. Dr. Twumasi-Anokye explains why effective competition is essential for lowering prices, encouraging innovation, improving efficiency, and creating a fairer environment for businesses of all sizes.

A key focus is the energy sector, where investment, industrialisation, and regional value chains are creating new opportunities—and new risks. The discussion examines how competition authorities can help ensure that investors operate within fair market rules, while balancing the need for competitive pricing with consumer protection and sustainable investment.
The episode also highlights Ghana’s competition policy gap, the progress of competition law development across ECOWAS member states, and why stronger regulatory institutions are increasingly important as West Africa pursues economic integration and industrial growth.

Key topics include:
• The role of ERCA in regulating competition across West Africa
• Why competition laws matter for consumers and businesses
• Market dominance, price-fixing, and anti-competitive practices
• Competition and pricing in the energy sector
• Ghana’s competition regulation gap
• Regional integration, investment, and industrialisation

A timely discussion on why fair competition is essential to protecting consumers, strengthening markets, and building a more competitive West African economy.

In this episode of Blindspot Africa, Charles Gyamfi Ofori speaks with Dr. Joseph Asenso, Head of the Economics Division at the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), about one of the biggest challenges facing Africa’s energy sector: financing the infrastructure needed to close the continent’s energy access gap.

The conversation examines project bankability, development finance, and the risks that make energy investments more expensive in Africa. Dr. Asenso explains what financiers look for when assessing energy projects, including signed power purchase agreements, reliable off-takers, sustainable tariffs, and adequate risk protection.

They also explore the impact of currency depreciation, inflation, payment defaults, and macroeconomic instability on energy investment and electricity costs. The discussion highlights why stabilising these fundamentals is critical to attracting both local and international capital.

The episode also looks at the growing role of solar, wind, gas, development finance institutions, and pension funds in unlocking capital for Africa’s energy infrastructure—and what governments and investors can do to make projects more viable while delivering meaningful development outcomes.

A timely conversation on energy finance, investment risk, and what Africa needs to build a more sustainable and affordable energy future.

In this episode of Blindspot Africa, Charles Gyamfi Ofori speaks with Tabi T. Tabi, founder of Grandville Energy, about Africa’s potential to build a more integrated and competitive clean energy industry.

The conversation explores energy manufacturing, value addition, regional integration, and green industrialisation, with Tabi sharing insights from Grandville Energy’s work across the clean energy value chain. He explains why Africa can move beyond importing finished products by developing local manufacturing capabilities and making better use of the continent’s raw materials, energy resources, and technical talent.

A major focus is the need for African countries to specialise, collaborate, and build regional value chains rather than each trying to manufacture everything independently. The discussion examines how countries could combine their respective strengths—from raw materials and affordable electricity to infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, and access to markets—to create more competitive regional industries.

The episode also challenges the idea that Africa lacks technical capacity, distinguishing between capability and scale. Tabi highlights skills development and the potential to train a new generation of technicians to support the continent’s expanding energy infrastructure.

The conversation concludes with a call to move from “talk shops” to action, through stronger public-private partnerships, project preparation, patient capital, better policy implementation, and greater confidence in African businesses and talent.

A practical conversation about how Africa can turn its energy resources, people, and markets into real industrial capacity and affordable clean energy.