The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has announced a comprehensive programme to upgrade Ghana’s electricity distribution network, citing longstanding underinvestment as the primary cause of recent power outages in parts of the country.

In a statement, the Minister acknowledged growing concerns over unreliable electricity supply, particularly in Accra and Kumasi, and assured the public that government is taking decisive steps to address the situation.

According to him, a technical assessment revealed that years of poor planning, inadequate investment, procurement misalignment, and weak maintenance of critical infrastructure have placed significant strain on the system.

To address these challenges, government has initiated a broad infrastructure improvement programme, including the replacement and upgrading of ageing transformers, expansion of substation capacity, and rehabilitation of overloaded feeders in high-demand areas.

As part of the intervention, about 2,500 transformers are being procured on an emergency basis to inject additional capacity into the network and improve supply reliability.

In Accra, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is currently upgrading key substations in Adenta, La, Teshie-Nungua, Nmai-Dzor, Baatsonaa, and Lashibi to meet rising demand and reduce localised outages and voltage fluctuations.

Similar reinforcement projects are underway in Kumasi and surrounding areas, where substation upgrades and expansion of distribution lines are being implemented to ease system constraints and support growing industrial and commercial activities.

Dr. Jinapor emphasised that the interventions form part of a long-term strategy to modernise Ghana’s power distribution system.

The programme is expected to reduce technical losses, improve voltage stability and power quality, enhance fault detection and response times, and support the integration of new power generation capacity.

He added that government is also working to strengthen operational efficiency and accountability within power utilities, particularly ECG, while improving customer communication on outages and maintenance schedules.

The Minister appealed to the public to exercise patience during the upgrade period, noting that the temporary inconveniences will ultimately result in a more reliable and efficient electricity supply.

He reaffirmed government’s commitment to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and quality power for all Ghanaians, in line with the country’s broader economic transformation agenda.