Severe power outages, formally known as ‘Dumsor’ have hit all parts of the country with a devastating impact on households, healthcare delivery, education, businesses, and livelihoods.
The dumsor has become so severe that ordinary Ghanaians cannot even sleep at night, compelling many, including pastors, to run to social media to seek immediate resolution to the problem.
Large manufacturing firms, hair salons, barbering shops, welders, frozen food vendors, and households are all bearing the brunt of the dumsor as they buy fuel to power generators to keep their businesses afloat, albeit at an unbearably high cost.
For those, including frozen food vendors, who cannot afford generators, they can only go on demonstrations and painfully display the results of the dumsor in their rotten fish and chicken, as residents of Enchi in the Western North Region did recently.
Government in denial
While Ghanaians are reeling under the intense power outages, the government has refused to accept the reality that the unpleasant dumsor is back.
President John Dramani Mahama has stated that the power outages are not dumsor.
According to him, the current problem across the country is the result of ongoing system upgrades and not a return to the prolonged electricity crisis.
The President’s remarks followed growing public concern over intermittent power supply, with some residents fearing a relapse into the erratic outages that previously affected homes and businesses nationwide under his first administration from 2013 to 2016.
He explained during a visit to the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) as part of his “Resetting Ghana” tour, that the disruptions are tied to a nationwide effort to improve electricity distribution infrastructure and enhance long-term reliability.
President Mahama disclosed that the government has procured about 2,500 transformers under the first phase of a broader intervention aimed at replacing ageing and overloaded equipment across the country.
“I’ll appeal to our people. The outages you are facing are not ‘dumsor.’ It is to enable you to get better quality and stable power. Any time transformers are being replaced, people in affected areas should be informed so they are aware their lights will be off for a while,” he said.
GRIDCo explanation
Meanwhile, the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) also announced that there was a major power disruption that plunged large parts of southern and middle Ghana into darkness following a fire outbreak at its substation at Akosombo, significantly reducing electricity supply to multiple regions.
In a series of public notices issued on Saturday, April 25, 2026, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) confirmed that the incident had affected power distribution across the Ashanti Region, Central Region, and Tema enclave.
According to ECG, the fire at the Akosombo substation disrupted bulk power transmission, leading to outages in both residential communities and key industrial zones.
Ashanti Region hard hit
In the Ashanti Region, dozens of communities experienced outages, including Abakomade, Abuakwa, Tanoso, Mim, Edwenase, Santasi, Kwadaso Estate, Sokoban, Apromase, Ejisu, and parts of Kumasi and its surrounding districts.
Major educational and residential areas such as KNUST, Kentinkrono, and Ayeduase were also affected.
Central Region experiences disruptions
In the Central Region, the outage impacted key areas within Cape Coast and nearby communities, including Pedu, Abura, Kakumdo, Adisadel Estate, Ola, Siwdu, and the Industrial Area. Critical service zones such as the Regional Police Station, Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU), and parts of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) enclave were also hit.
Industrial activity slows in Tema
The industrial hub of Tema recorded significant disruptions, with factories and processing plants among the hardest hit.
Affected facilities include Olam Grains, Sentuo Ceramics, Western Castings, Nestlé, Fan Milk, Toyota Warehouse, and Tema Steel. Port-related operations at GPHA Terminals 1 and 2, as well as logistics enclaves such as APM Terminals and Reefer Terminal Asadtek, were also impacted.
Other affected areas in Tema include Communities 25 and 26, Kpone, Adom Estates, Afienya, and parts of Tema New Town.
ECG assures swift restoration
ECG assured customers that engineers are working urgently to restore power supply once the fault at the GRIDCo substation is resolved.
“ECG wishes to assure affected customers that our engineers are standing by to restore supply as soon as the challenge is rectified,” the company stated, while expressing regret for the inconvenience caused.
