A senior lecturer at Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) has cautioned that Ghana risks entrenching the same import dependency that stunted its conventional automotive sector if it fails to move decisively from assembling imported electric vehicle components to building genuine domestic manufacturing capacity.
Dr Lewis Abedi Asante made the remarks at the post-event media engagement of the Deliverable 3 (D3) Paper Validation Workshop in Accra, which forms part of a broader research project assessing Ghana’s readiness for electric mobility in the light transport segment. The project, titled Manufacturing and Assembling Electric Two and Three Wheelers in Ghana, is supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) initiative.
Dr Asante said while Ghana has made visible progress in electric two- and three-wheelers, most current activity remains limited to the assembly of imported parts rather than full-scale local production. He warned that this path mirrors the trajectory of Ghana’s conventional automobile sector, where decades of dependence on imports, including second-hand vehicles, prevented the emergence of a competitive local manufacturing base.
The research also identified significant skills shortages across the technical disciplines needed to support a genuine electric mobility industry. Gaps were found in specialised areas including computer-aided design and mechatronics, which are critical to manufacturing, maintenance and systems integration. The study also found that many mechanics currently rely on informal practices developed for conventional vehicles that are unsuitable for electric powertrains, raising questions about the workforce readiness required to service an expanding electric vehicle fleet.
Dr Asante called for stronger partnerships between industry and higher education institutions, urging companies to actively participate in shaping curricula and providing practical training, rather than expecting institutions to independently produce work-ready graduates. He also highlighted limited female participation in engineering and technical fields linked to the sector, and called for targeted programmes to create entry pathways for women into technical disciplines.
On the demand side, the study flagged the high upfront cost of electric vehicles as a barrier to adoption, proposing targeted low-interest financing schemes to stimulate uptake alongside supply-side investment in manufacturing and regional training centres.
The Centre for Extractives and Development Africa (CEDA) has been involved in facilitating skills assessment work connected to the broader project.
