Travelling journal Ghana February 2026 6/6

EWIA CEO Ralph Schneider is currently traveling in Ghana with his colleague Jonathan Baumann. Read on to find out what their day is like, who they’re meeting, where, when, and why.

Day 16: February 24, Tuesday – Tamale / Return flight to Accra

The day starts with another surprise. No water from the shower, no water from the faucet. The municipal water supply had simply been shut off. They ration water, especially during the dry season. The hotel apologizes, but the solution they offer is to bring us buckets of water. That really completed the African experience. As was customary in the old days, this means a “pocket shower”—in other words, showering with a cup by scooping water from the bucket.

High-Quality Healthcare

After breakfast, we first head to Aisha Hospital. We have good news and announce that construction will begin in three weeks. We meet the legal department and the commercial director. Once again, we are given a full tour of the hospital. Compared to my last visit, there is significantly more activity and a much larger number of visitors. The hospital is slowly gaining momentum. This is also having an impact on electricity consumption.

Afterward, we drove to the Northern Eye Clinic, which is now called Tamale Eye Hospital following its move to the new building. We had a long conversation with the Director of Administration, Mr. Jackson Tabka. We gained a detailed insight into Ghana’s healthcare system. Jackson came across as very articulate and dedicated. Jonathan would have been in good hands here a few weeks ago with his eye infection.

The President as a Trendsetter?

Next, we visit a new recycling plant. After a tour, we agree to conduct another detailed analysis of the costs and energy consumption. The plant and the owner’s home are located not far from one of President John Dramani Mahama’s residences. It’s encouraging to note that President Mahama has a solar panel system installed on the roof of his house.

After yesterday's failed attempt to start data logging on the GNAT, we have better luck today. Still, it takes about 1.5 hours before we get it up and running. Robert and Jonathan, along with the in-house electrician, really have their hands full. But eventually, the online data transmission works as well.

Last Evening in Ghana

Before heading to the airport, we stop by the “Wodden Restaurant” one last time. That’s where we first met Dr. Judith Simon from the (then) Northern Eye Clinic about 1.5 years ago. Shortly after 5:00 p.m., we arrive at Tamale International Airport. Boarding begins as early as 5:30 p.m. The flight is actually on time today, and we take off at 5:50 p.m. in the aging propeller plane. Around 7:30 p.m., Maxwell, our rental car agent, picks us up at the airport. We round off our last evening in Accra with a whiskey on the terrace of our company house.

Day 17: February 25, Wednesday – Return flight to Europe

Time to get up early and pack. Above all, it’s time for another good shower after our stay in hot Tamale. Temperatures in Tamale reached up to 39 degrees Celsius in the shade.

EWIA Will Initially Erect 30 Cell Towers

After our board call and breakfast, we have another meeting at the Rainbow Mobile Networks office. Rainbow’s entire management team is present. The discussion focuses on the next phase of construction. As a first step, EWIA is to erect 30 cell towers. Of these, 19 sites will also be acquired and developed by EWIA.

Saying Goodbye to Nana and Ghana

In the afternoon, we had another official farewell with Nana. The usual snacks, some fruit juice, lots of selfies, and a few speeches. A journey of nearly eleven years that I’ve shared with Nana is coming to an end.

This time, there wasn’t even the usual selfie at the airport. The selfie in front of the Company House—Nana and Ralph—is only a small consolation.

We make the trip to the airport together with Maxwell once again. A memorable trip to Ghana is coming to an end. Instead of cheerful African sounds, the blues are setting in. It’s a feeling I know all too well, but one I hadn’t previously associated with Africa.

Day 18: February 26, Thursday – Brussels / Munich

A pleasant surprise during boarding last night: an upgrade to Premium Economy. More space and comfort. Also better service and meals. The flight to Brussels takes about 6.5 hours. At least a few hours of sleep. Traditionally, return flights to Europe are all red-eye flights.

We land in Brussels shortly after 5:00 a.m. local time. In Ghana, it’s still 4:00 a.m. We left Ghana at 5:30 p.m. The transit and security checks in Brussels go fairly quickly in the early morning—we’re one of the first transit flights from Africa. Meanwhile, electronic passport control is also working quite well for EU citizens. Our connecting flight isn’t until 9:05 a.m. That means another 3.5-hour wait. The landing in Munich is scheduled for 10:20 a.m. Baggage handling in Munich—especially on flights from Brussels—usually takes forever. Most of the time, you have to wait a long time for your luggage. Since the pandemic, all airports have been suffering from acute staff shortages.

My daughter Jana picks us up at the airport shortly after 11:00 a.m. It’ll still take another hour before I’m home.

My first trip to Africa in 2026 is coming to an end.

Feel free to follow Ralph on LinkedIn!