Ghana's power outages may persist due to GRIDCo's financial and infrastructure challenges
Energy expert Benjamin Nsiah warns that Ghana may continue to experience power outages due to inadequate prioritization, limited capital, and a lack of financing for the Ghana Grid Company Limited GRIDCo. Speaking on STAR FM on August 19, 2026, Nsiah emphasized the urgent need for significant investment in the transmission system to strengthen the national grid and minimize disruptions. He highlighted that GRIDCo requires between GH垄4 billion and GH垄5 billion over the next four years to upgrade its infrastructure, with potential government assistance needed to mobilize these funds. Nsiah also referenced the Ministry of Energy's Energy Compact, which identified a financing requirement of approximately US$400 million within a similar timeframe. His comments follow a widespread power outage on August 20, 2026, attributed to a major fault on the Akosombo鈥揤olta transmission line, which caused an automatic shutdown of generating units and affected several regions. This incident marked the second major disruption to the national power system in less than a month, following another outage on July 29, 2026. Nsiah stressed that addressing GRIDCo's financial and infrastructure needs is critical to preventing repeated disruptions.
