President John Dramani Mahama has moved quickly to address growing concerns about recent power outages across Ghana, firmly stating these disruptions are not a return of the dreaded "dumsor" crisis. Instead, he says they are necessary interruptions for critical infrastructure upgrades.
Speaking during an inspection of new transformers for the Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited (NEDCo), Mahama made his position clear. The government has procured 2,500 transformers to replace aging units across the country.
"The outages you are facing are not dumsor. It is to enable you to get better quality and stable power."
Infrastructure Strain From Population Growth
What particularly notable was how Mahama connected Ghana's current power challenges to decades of population growth. He traced the country's electrification efforts back to the 1980s when the National Electrification Program began.
The president cited a specific example from Nungua, Lashibi, where a transformer has been operating for 22 years. He explained how community expansion far exceeded the equipment's original capacity, causing unstable power supply.
"You can imagine that the transformer was installed 22 years ago. And since then, the community has expanded beyond the capacity of the transformer; that is why you have the lights being very unstable."
Systematic Equipment Replacement Plan
Mahama revealed that both the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and NEDCo had failed to conduct "mass replacement of transformers" for years. This upgrade initiative came after the Energy Minister requested new equipment and Cabinet approval followed.
The Ministry of Finance assisted the Ministry of Energy in acquiring the transformers, demonstrating coordinated government effort on this infrastructure challenge.
Local Manufacturing Focus
I noticed Mahama's enthusiasm about local transformer production. Many of the new units are manufactured in Ghana, supporting domestic industry while addressing infrastructure needs.
"One of the things that I am happy about is a lot of these transformers are produced locally in Ghana — they are Made-in-Ghana transformers."
He expressed hope that eventually all transformers will be produced locally, creating a sustainable solution for Ghana's power infrastructure needs.
Northern Region Gets Priority Treatment
Minister for Energy and Green Transition John Abdulai Jinapor provided specific deployment details. The Northern Electricity Distribution Company requested 400 transformers but received 500 units from government.
Installation has already begun in Tamale, with 30 transformers being installed this week alone. Bole will receive two new transformers as part of this first phase.
Mahama promised residents would receive advance notice before transformer replacements to prepare for temporary outages. This proactive communication approach should help manage public expectations during the upgrade process.
The president's assurance that Ghana will see "stable power after this first phase" offers hope for improved electricity reliability. However, the success of this initiative will ultimately be measured by consistent power supply across the country.