About

Monica Nana Ama Senanu (Mrs.) is a distinguished lawyer with over 29 years of experience in legal practice, specializing in energy law, project finance, procurement, corporate governance, and company secretarial services among others. In the last sixteen (16) years, she has been in a senior management role working as the Director of Legal at the Ghana Grid Company LTD (GRIDCo), where she provides legal oversight and strategic direction on issues related to Ghana’s energy sector and the National Grid. Prior to 2022, Mrs. Senanu served as the Board Secretary in addition to her role as Director, Legal from the inception of GRIDCo.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Senanu has demonstrated an exceptional ability to negotiate and secure high value financing agreements, enabling the expansion of Ghana’s national grid infrastructure. Notably, she was part of the Team that led the negotiations for a $173.9 million facility from Agence Française de Développement for the Kumasi-Bolgatanga-Ouagadougou 330kV Transmission Line Project. Her expertise was also instrumental in raising over $400 million for various grid expansion projects between 2009 and 2015. Her leadership extends beyond Ghana, as she has served as the Chairperson of the sub-regional committee for the commercialization of excess dark optic fiber on transmission lines of West African power utilities under the West Africa Power Pool. She has also been involved in the review of the Grid Inter Operator Agreement and electricity market rules for the sub-region.

As Board Secretary of GRIDCo from 2008 to 2021, Mrs. Senanu was responsible for organising Board and Board Sub-Committee meetings, ensuring that corporate governance processes were adhered to and effectively implemented. During her tenure, GRIDCo became one of the five state-owned entities to hold regular Annual General Meetings. She is particularly passionate about corporate governance, risk management, compliance, and gender equality issues. Before joining GRIDCo, Mrs. Senanu held various roles in the Volta River Authority (VRA), where she rose from Senior Legal Counsel to Principal Legal Counsel. In this capacity, she was instrumental in negotiating Power Purchase Agreements with major clients, including mining companies and utilities in the sub-region among others. She also played a crucial role in reviewing tender documents on projects and serving on bid evaluation committees. Additionally, she was the Project Lawyer for the Liberia Emergency Power Project in 2005 and was very instrumental in ensuring that the Liberian government’s interests were protected.

Her legal career began with Sam Okudzeto & Associates, where she worked as a Junior Counsel, where she represented clients in court, conducted research, negotiation and arbitration and interviewed clients. She later joined Africa Legal Aid (AFLA), an international human rights organization, as a Legal Officer and the Administrative Head. In this role, she provided legal representation on various human rights violations and managed the organization’s operational activities. Her diverse legal expertise also includes serving as the Company Solicitor for both Akuaba Limited, dealers in furniture and Akuaba Estates Limited, a real estate company.

Beyond her corporate roles, Mrs. Senanu is deeply involved in gender advocacy and mentorship. She serves as a Council Member for Women Leaders in Energy, Ghana, and is the Executive Secretary of the Akua Kuenyehia Foundation, where she has been involved in the mentoring and coaching of over 200 young ladies since 2007. Her commitment to gender equality is evident in her work at GRIDCo, where she reviewed GRIDCo’s Gender Policy and participated in numerous initiatives promoting the inclusion of women in the energy sector.

Mrs. Senanu holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Ghana and a Qualifying Certificate in Law from the Ghana School of Law. She furthered her education with an Executive Master’s in Business Administration (Project Management) from the University of Ghana. She is a Notary Public for Ghana, a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and also holds a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Ghana’s Faculty of Law.

Her professional affiliations include the Ghana Bar Association and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). She has attended numerous high-level training programs and conferences, including the Africa Investment Exchange on Power & Renewables, Procurement Management in Public Sector and Corporate Governance. Outside of her legal and corporate engagements, Mrs. Senanu is an entrepreneur and the Founder & Director of Chocoluv Company Limited, a chocolate manufacturing enterprise. A devoted Christian and she enjoys gardening and baking in her leisure time. Mrs. Senanu’s career is a testament to her unwavering dedication, legal acumen and leadership in Ghana’s energy sector and corporate governance landscape. Her contributions continue to shape policies and the legal framework in Ghana and beyond.