In brief
A sudden fault on Ghana's national power network triggered a widespread blackout, cutting power to the capital, the commercial hub of Kumasi and large parts of northern Ghana. The state‑run GRIDCo shut several power plants in the early hours, prompting engineers to work around the clock to restore supply. While the outage deepened ongoing “dumsor” problems, the failure highlighted the grid’s reliance on aging hydropower and the need for better backup systems.
A major fault on Ghana’s national power grid has triggered widespread outages, leaving the capital, Accra, the commercial hub of Kumasi and much of north without electricity.
Early on Wednesday morning, several power plants were forced to shut down by the state‑run power distribution company, GRIDCo.
"Our engineers and system operators are working continuously to restore power in the shortest time possible without compromising safety," GRIDCo said in a statement.
Ghana has faced regular power shortages for years, known locally as "dumsor", meaning "on and off" in Akan. While the situation has been improving, an unexpected fault has disrupted services in multiple regions.
The outage has caused commuters to struggle to travel to work, especially those whose phones were not charged or who rely on ride‑sharing apps. Small businesses and people dependent on digital services have also been affected; larger institutions, such as hospitals, typically have backup generators.
GRIDCo said it was conducting a comprehensive technical investigation to find the cause of the outage, but it did not provide an estimate of when normal supply will resume.
In recent years, Ghana has begun using gas to generate electricity to help meet growing demand as the population urbanises. Most of the country’s electricity, however, still comes from ageing hydropower plants that have suffered from poor maintenance. The addition of gas has eased power cuts, but the sector remains vulnerable to transmission failures and fuel supply interruptions.
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