We need our own food basket – Kirk Koffi advocates Pwalugu hydropower project

Former Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ing. Kirk Koffi, is urging renewed focus on the Pwalugu hydroelectric dam. He believes it can help with flooding issues and boost agriculture in northern Ghana.

In an interview on Channel One TV’s Face to Face with Umaru Sanda Amadu, he highlighted the strategic benefits of the Pwalugu project. He called it vital for transforming energy and food security in the country.

“I think we should be looking at the Pwalugu [dam] because of its importance,” he said. “We should have our own food basket in this country.”

Ing. Koffi explained that flooding in northern regions often occurs due to spillage from smaller upstream facilities. The flat terrain exacerbates this issue, as even small water releases can cause significant flooding, displacing communities and damaging crops.

“That small facility produces many grains," he noted. "When they spill a little volume, it floods the North.”

He added that this spillage does not significantly affect inflows into the Akosombo lake; instead, it spreads out across the region. “When we build the dam [hydropower plant], it will contain the floods,” he stated.

The Pwalugu dam is expected to be a multipurpose project if completed. It aims to provide hydropower, irrigation for farming, and flood control.