Nana Amoasi VII, Executive Director of the Institute of Energy Security (IES), has voiced his disappointment over the recent power outages, known locally as ‘dumsor,’ stating that Ghana should not have experienced these challenges after 2017. According to him, by 2017, the country had built a strong energy capacity, boasting a reliable power output of 4,300 megawatts. He argued that with the resources and opportunities available to the current administration, power shortages should have been a thing of the past. Presently, Ghana's dependable capacity has increased to 5,100 megawatts, but the nation struggles to produce even 3,100 megawatts, highlighting inefficiencies within the energy sector. These concerns were aired during a recent discussion on Joy News' "Newsfile," where Nana Amoasi pointed to the government's mismanagement as a key factor behind the recent power crisis.
The topic of Ghana’s power supply has reignited public debate due to a series of recent outages. While the acting Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ing. Asamoah David, reassured citizens that the situation is under control and improvements are forthcoming, Nana Amoasi remained skeptical. He questioned the reliability of the ECG's assurances, citing a lack of transparency in the energy sector under the current government. He contrasted this with previous administrations, where data on power production was more readily available for public scrutiny and analysis. This transparency, he suggested, allowed for better-informed decisions and recommendations to enhance the energy supply. Nana Amoasi criticized the current government's failure to maintain the stable energy conditions seen in the early years of its administration, noting that proper management could have prevented the return of dumsor.
The underlying causes of the recent power outages trace back to financial issues involving the government’s inability to settle debts with Independent Power Producers (IPPs). These private entities play a critical role in supplementing Ghana’s state-owned power generation. Earlier this year, the situation worsened when Sunon Asogli, one of the major IPPs, ceased operations in October due to unpaid government dues. Following this, three additional IPPs scaled back their contributions, issuing warnings of a complete shutdown if the payment situation does not improve. These developments underscore the fragility of Ghana's energy sector, and Nana Amoasi’s remarks reflect growing concerns that, despite ample energy capacity, mismanagement and financial challenges have once again put the country’s power supply at risk. The ongoing crisis has led to calls for the government to be more forthcoming about the state of the energy sector and to take decisive actions to stabilize the situationtion.
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