Ghana’s new president vows to end power crisis

Ghana’s newly elected President, John Dramani Mahama, has pledged to address the country’s long-standing power crisis, which has plagued the nation for the past decade.

Sworn into office just over a week ago, President Mahama has already engaged with the various Independent Power Producers (IPPs) operating in the country, assuring them of his commitment to resolving the energy challenges. “It is important for me to meet with you as President. I care about your concerns and what you are going through, and I want to assure you that we will work together to resolve the issues within our power sector”, he told the IPPs during a meeting on Monday January 13.

Ghana has faced ongoing energy shortages since 2014, resulting in frequent power outages that have disrupted both small and large businesses. As part of efforts to improve the sector’s efficiency, the new Government has announced plans to privatise the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the country’s main electricity supplier.

Currently, Ghana relies on IPPs for over 50% of its electricity, with the Volta River Authority and Bui Power Authority contributing less than half of the nation’s power generation.