Energy Ministry rolls out 18-month plan to stabilise electricity supply
The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has announced an 18-month intervention programme, estimated to cost at least GH¢4 billion, to address persistent faults in Ghana’s electricity distribution network and reduce outages in affected communities.
The Head of Communications and Spokesperson for the ministry, Mr Richmond Rockson, disclosed this in an interview on Joy FM on Monday, April 20, 2026, indicating that the initiative will be implemented in four phases, beginning with an emergency response already underway.
“You are not looking at anything less than GH¢4 billion to be able to deal with that,” Mr Rockson said, explaining that the plan starts with a three-month emergency phase before progressing into medium- and long-term interventions.
Mr Rockson said the first phase focuses on urgent interventions over the next three months. As part of this effort, 11 power station transformers are being installed across the Greater Accra Region, while an additional 30 transformers are expected to be deployed within the same period.
He added that the government had responded to a request from the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) for more than 400 transformers, with 100 already delivered and the remainder expected in due course.
“We call it a crash programme because you cannot wait,” he said.
The second phase, expected to run from three to six months, will involve the replacement of about 2,000 deteriorated poles nationwide, alongside cable works and the installation of more than 30,000 fuses and over 300 distribution panels.
Between six and 12 months, the third phase will focus on constructing new distribution links and additional primary substations in areas where demand has outpaced existing infrastructure, as well as replacing damaged underground cables.
The final phase, which accounts for about GH¢2 billion of the total budget, will address major backbone infrastructure, including 33-kilovolt feeders and regional system upgrades, to be completed within 18 months.
Mr Rockson attributed the challenges in the distribution network to years of limited investment, noting that priority had historically been given to generation and transmission.
“The concentration has been on generation and transmission, and the needed investments when it comes to the distribution side have not been forthcoming,” he said. “These challenges have built up over time and are now affecting supply in many areas.”
He cited Lashibi in the Greater Accra Region as a case in point, where a transformer installed more than two decades ago remains in use despite rapid population growth and urban development.
“If you know the population of Lashibi and the buildings there, you would agree that today it has changed. You are seeing duplexes, apartments and commercial buildings. Demand has gone up, and the capacity of that transformer cannot serve the area,” he said.
In total, the programme is expected to deliver about 3,000 transformers nationwide, with more than 2,500 of them classified as distribution transformers.
Mr Rockson added that the initiative would incorporate technology, including the use of drones by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), to monitor the network and detect faults such as voltage pressure points.
He said the ongoing works in Greater Accra would be extended to Kumasi in May as part of the nationwide rollout.
On public communication, he assured that planned outages linked to maintenance would be announced in advance through ECG’s official channels, while unplanned outages would be communicated after assessment.
He also urged the public to promptly report faults to facilitate quicker response times.
“Once your power goes off, please call the customer care line 0302-611-611 or contact ECG on Facebook,” he said. “If you do not report it, you may assume the problem will be resolved, but in some cases it remains unattended.”
Mr Rockson added that he remains available to engage the public and address concerns as the programme progresses.
