In brief
A major fault on Ghana’s national power grid triggered widespread outages across Accra, Kumasi and northern regions in the early hours of Wednesday. GRIDCo shut down several plants, promising rapid restoration but has yet to set a timeline. The blackout disrupted homes, transport, small businesses and digital services, while hospitals remain powered by backup generators. Long‑standing "dumsor" outages and ageing hydropower plants keep the grid vulnerable, even as gas‑powered plants have eased the problem. Stakeholders now demand better maintenance and investment to prevent future shocks.
A major fault on Ghana’s national power grid sparked widespread outages across the capital Accra, Kumasi and large parts of the north in the early hours of Wednesday.
State‑run GRIDCo said it was shutting down several plants and was working to restore power "as quickly as possible without compromising safety", but has yet to give a timeline for restoration.
The blackout has left homes without light, commuters unable to pay for transport or use mobile‑app booking services, and small businesses offline. Hospitals, equipped with backup generators, are untouched.
Ghana’s electricity has long been subject to "dumsor" (on‑and‑off) shortages, though the launch of gas‑powered stations has eased the problem. Heavy reliance on ageing hydropower plants and the new transmission network still makes the country vulnerable to outages.
GRIDCo is conducting a technical investigation on the fault, but has not yet clarified when normal supply will resume. Meanwhile, citizens and stakeholders call for better maintenance and further investment in grid resilience.
