Invest in renewable energy to address power challenges on the continent

African governments must increase investment in renewable energy to address the power challenges facing the continent, Kunmi Odunoku, Product Manager, West Africa, Eaton International Industries, Nigeria Limited, has said.

He said, with dwindling hydro resources arising from climate change, renewal energy was the way to go.

“There is growing technology on renewal energy and the future is going to be renewable energy,” he said in Accra yesterday, during a forum on power distribution solutions.

Organized by Eaton, Ghana, the local arm of the multinational power management company, Eaton, the forum held for Information Technology (IT) channel partners was also used to launch the Power Advantage Partner Program, a program designed to help partners grow and maximize benefits from selling power quality products – UPS, power distribution units, surge protectors.

The discussion focused on educating Eaton Ghana IT partners and other stakeholders involved in the IT segment on ways to expand their businesses and gain tangible benefits.

Mr Odunoku said African governments must increase investment in research and education on renewal energy.

He pledged that Eaton would continue to innovate and come out with products to boost the power sector in Ghana and Africa.

“Eaton has energy-efficient products and solutions and what we are introducing are products and solutions that can optimize and utilize the little power that is available, so that people can cut down on waste and be able to maximize the power that is available,” he said.

He said Eaton had intelligent products that could measure the amount of power that was consumed to help consumers manage their power use.

Mr Odunoku said plans were far advanced to establish Eaton Office in Ghana to be able to get closer to customers of the company in the country.

Mr Odunoku entreated the participants to utilize Eaton products and solutions in boosting their business and sales.

The Managing Director of Link Ghana Limited, the authorized Eaton distributor in Ghana, Mr Devang Lakhani, commended Eaton for the forum.

“Growth is a topic that affects all the stakeholders in the technology value chain. It is important we hold events like this so we can ensure the topics that need to be addressed, and by the right people. A forum like this also ensure that Eaton updates its partners on its technology and solutions in the market, which will ultimately be beneficial to all parties involved,” he said.