A major fault on Ghana's national power grid triggered widespread outages on Wednesday morning, leaving the capital, Accra, the commercial hub of Kumasi, and much of the northern part of the country without electricity. Several power plants were forced to shut down.
The state-run power distribution company, Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), stated that its engineers and system operators are working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. The exact cause of the outage is currently under comprehensive technical investigation, and GRIDCo has not provided an estimated time for the resumption of normal service.
This incident has caused significant disruption to daily life. Homes and businesses are without power, and essential services are affected. Commuters faced difficulties, particularly those relying on mobile phones for transportation payments or ordering taxis via apps. Small businesses and individuals dependent on digital services have also been impacted, although larger institutions like hospitals typically utilize backup generators.
Ghana has experienced periodic power shortages, known locally as "dumsor" (meaning "on and off" in the Akan language), in the past, though the situation had reportedly been improving. The country, a major producer of gold and cocoa, has been increasingly relying on gas for electricity generation to meet growing demand from its urbanizing population. While the addition of gas power has helped mitigate previous shortages, the energy sector remains susceptible to transmission failures and disruptions in fuel supply. Most of the country's electricity generation still relies on aging hydropower plants that have suffered from years of inadequate maintenance.