Ghana

Twenty-nine year old Collins Dadzie has a goal of providing Ghanaians with fully accessible electricity. Dadzie, who earned a BA in Economics from the University of Ghana, learned firsthand how transformative the experience of electricity is for a community that has always lived without it.

“Most great goals end up as dreams because the dream bearers, especially from my part of the world, cannot afford access to the right environment,” Dadzie said. “I strongly believe that the environment in which a goal is nurtured determines the goal’s extent of success.”

Dadzie’s dream is continually bolstered by his mentor, Mohamed Haji, a leader in the African power sector who is developing a 660MW power plant in Ghana to expand the potential for electrical coverage in the country. Dadzie credits Haji with keeping the dream alive.

During his time at the University of Ghana, Dadzie led five outreach programs, each of which provided emotional scenes as he witnessed communities with deficiencies in jobs, healthcare, and education due to the restrictions a lack of electricity imposes.

Dadzie’s mission to provide electricity to Ghana led him to roles with a larger global impact. During his time at the Electricity Company of Ghana, he led the negotiation and sought approval for the construction of what is now Ghana's first grid-connected waste-to-energy power plant. The project not only provides electricity to the community, but also provides an integrated solution in cleaning the environment, producing organic fertilizer, and providing jobs. Additionally, his guidance on energy-related issues helps the US Agency for International Development (USAID), where he worked as a consultant with ICF for the Integrated Resource and Resilience Planning project.

Dadzie enters the Obama Foundation Scholars Program ready to create an action plan for achievement of his dream which is as detailed, structured, and measurable as possible.  

“The Obama Foundation Scholars Program is the best environment needed to develop, refine, and implement goals with world-reaching impacts; one that makes you a product of a world-class institution and a network of world leaders.”