… Speaking at the Government Accountability Series held at the Presidency in Accra yesterday, he indicated that two out of the six units at the control room of Ghana Grid Company, which were affected by a fire outbreak at Akosombo over the weekend, had been restored. …
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has announced a temporary power curtailment in parts of the Volta and Oti Regions following a fire outbreak at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) substation at Akosombo. …
… Recounting a recent experience, he said, “Last Saturday, for instance, I was home… between 6 am and about 12 pm and the light was off… even though I was calling Akosombo every now and then to check up on what’s happening.”
A fire outbreak at a key power installation in Akosombo is set to plunge large parts of Accra into hours of darkness, with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) announcing a scheduled overnight power curtailment affecting dozens of communities. …
… The company disclosed that “the occasional influx of aquatic weeds at the Kpong intake point has further compounded the situation,” adding that recent weather conditions have worsened the problem. “While this remains a usual occurrence, the recent heavy rains in the Akosombo area …
… Compounding the power challenges, recent heavy rains in the Akosombo area have caused an “unusually large volume” of aquatic weeds to surge toward the Kpong intake point. …
The Minority in Parliament has challenged the government’s explanation of the ongoing power outages, insisting the crisis goes beyond the recent fire at an Akosombo substation. …
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has announced a significant milestone in the recovery of the national power grid, confirming that two major generating units at Akosombo are now back in operation following a devastating substation fire. …
The Ministry of Energy and Green Transition has assured Ghanaians that the recent wave of electricity disruptions will be brought under control by the end of the week, following emergency response measures after a fire incident at a key power installation in Akosombo. …
… He cited a recent incident involving the transmission network. “On Thursday we had an unfortunate accident… and that’s a huge problem because about 1,000MW has been curtailed,” he disclosed, referring to an incident at a GRIDCo substation at Akosombo.According to him, engineers a …
The Ghana Maritime Authority launched a nationwide Life Jackets for Safety and Livelihoods Project, distributing 20,000 life jackets to fishing and inland water transport communities and inaugurating 200 trained Inland Water Safety Guards. The Transport Minister announced a strict "No Life Jacket, No Travel" policy and said life jackets would be made accessible through subsidised sales, rental schemes, and a hybrid model to reduce fatalities on inland waterways.
Why it matters
Ghana Maritime Authority's nationwide life jacket distribution and safety guard deployment with strict 'No Life Jacket, No Travel' policy directly addresses water transport fatalities.
The Ghana Maritime Authority launched a nationwide Life Jackets for Safety and Livelihoods Project, distributing 20,000 life jackets to fishing and inland water transport communities and inaugurating 200 trained Inland Water Safety Guards. The Transport Minister announced a strict "No Life Jacket, No Travel" policy and said life jackets would be made accessible through subsidised sales, rental schemes, and a hybrid model to reduce fatalities on inland waterways.
The Ghana Grid Company's eight-member board held discussions with Parliament's Speaker, Alban Bagbin, to strengthen stakeholder engagement on the nation's energy infrastructure agenda and introduce the new Board Chair. GRIDCo's Chief Executive outlined restoration works following a recent fire incident at Akosombo and plans for a new control room, while noting operational challenges from illegal chainsaw and mining activities affecting transmission infrastructure.
Ghana Grid Company's eight-member board held discussions with Parliament's Speaker Alban Bagbin to brief him on company developments and formally introduce Board Chair Kuukua Maurice Ankrah. The CEO outlined restoration efforts following a fire incident at Akosombo and plans for a permanent control room, while highlighting operational challenges from illegal chainsaw and mining activities affecting transmission infrastructure.
Ghana Grid Company's board held discussions with Parliament's Speaker to strengthen engagement on the country's energy infrastructure agenda, briefing him on company developments and introducing the new Board Chair. The CEO outlined ongoing restoration work following a fire at Akosombo and plans for a new control room, while noting operational challenges from illegal chainsaw and mining activities.
The Somanya-Kpong road in the Eastern Region's Yilo Krobo and Lower Manya Krobo municipalities has begun bituminous surfacing works as of May 22, 2026, following years of deterioration and public complaints. The reconstruction project, which started from Somanya Roundabout, involves primer seal application followed by asphalt laying to address the road's poor condition and improve durability.
Ghana's Meteorological Agency has issued a weather warning for moderate to heavy rainfall across several parts of Ghana from Sunday evening into the night, with the Greater Accra, Eastern, Central, and Western regions expected to be hardest hit. The agency advised residents in affected areas to avoid flood-prone areas, secure loose objects, and take precautionary measures as strong winds may precede the storms.
Ghana Grid Company Limited's board of directors convened its inaugural direct engagement with staff in a durbar at the company's Tema head office, providing a platform for open dialogue and formally recognising engineers and technicians who restored operations at Akosombo Generating Station following an April 2026 fire incident.
Ghana Grid Company Limited's board chair said the April 23 fire that destroyed the Akosombo switchyard control room will catalyse a long-overdue infrastructure overhaul at the country's most critical power transmission node, with commitment signalled from government and the company's board.
An opinion piece argues that Ghana's rapid local response to the Akosombo power disruption demonstrates the need for sustained investment in universities, technical institutions, and the newly operationalised Ghana National Research Fund to build domestic capacity rather than outsourcing critical capabilities.
Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Finance Dr Theo Acheampong defended the government's handling of recent power supply challenges, saying clear leadership was demonstrated through timely communication and coordinated interventions following an incident at Akosombo hydro facility. However, Kofi Bentil of IMANI Africa criticized authorities for what he describes as "insincere" communication regarding persistent power outages.
The Executive Director of the African Centre for Energy Policy has argued that defective accountability in Ghana's power sector has led to repeated infrastructure failures and system vulnerabilities, citing a recent Ghana Grid Company Limited substation fire near Akosombo and recurring power challenges in Kumasi as examples of issues that could have been prevented with proper planning and modern safety systems.
Ben Boakye, Executive Director of the African Centre for Energy Policy, has described the April 23 fire at Ghana Grid Company Limited's Akosombo substation as a preventable incident caused by long-standing negligence and weak accountability in Ghana's power sector. He blamed inadequate maintenance and safety upgrades to transmission infrastructure dating back to the 1960s, noting that generation assets received upgrades while critical switchyard systems did not.
Director of Communications for the Bawumia Campaign Dennis Miracles Aboagye has argued that fixing Akosombo hydro plant does not end Ghana's electricity challenges, contending that power outages existed before the recent disruption and citing ongoing outages in parts of the Ashanti Region despite official assurances.
President John Mahama joined workers at Jackson Park in Koforidua on May 1, 2026, for the May Day celebration, delivering a keynote address on economic growth and job creation. He pledged that economic gains would reach workers, particularly in teaching, technical trades, and key sectors, and reaffirmed the government's commitment to translating macroeconomic stability into household-level prosperity.
JoyNews' Newsfile programme will examine the recent fire at Ghana Grid Company's Akosombo substation, which caused widespread power outages nationwide and resulted in significant loss of electricity supply, and will also tackle the Bank of Ghana's GH¢15.6 billion loss.
JoyNews' Newsfile programme will analyse the recent fire at Ghana Grid Company's substation near Akosombo, which caused widespread power outages and led to emergency restoration efforts, as well as the Bank of Ghana's GH¢15.6 billion loss.
A fire at the Akosombo GRIDCo substation caused intermittent power outages. President Mahama said the government will replace the damaged facility with a modern control room and advanced centre.
President John Dramani Mahama recommended automatic employment for a female NSS person who distinguished herself during recovery efforts after a fire at the Akosombo substation. The President commended engineers and technical teams for their swift response in restoring power and noted that the NSS personnel demonstrated exceptional dedication warranting reward for their commitment to stabilising the national grid.
An Energy Committee Member of Parliament has cautioned that gaps between Ghana's installed generating capacity and actual plant availability pose ongoing risks to the electricity system, despite the government's assertions of stable power supply. His remarks follow President Mahama's visit to the Akosombo Generating Station after a switchyard fire disrupted the national grid in late April.
Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Ampem Nyarko attributed Ghana's recent struggles with inflation, currency volatility, and debt restructuring to weak internal controls, poor risk management, and lack of accountability at leadership levels. He stated that institutions weaken gradually when governance is compromised, and warned that the costs included billions in public funds lost and erosion of public trust.
President Mahama visited Akosombo to assess damage from a recent control room fire and commended the Volta River Authority's response. He characterised the incident as an opportunity to rebuild and upgrade the facility's infrastructure, noting the control room dates from 1964.
President Mahama visited the Akosombo plant to inspect damage from a fire incident at the switchyard and praised VRA and GRIDCo engineers for their work to restore the two remaining affected control units. He described VRA as one of Ghana's best-managed state enterprises and suggested the incident presents an opportunity to modernise infrastructure at the facility.
Engineers have restored more than half of the approximately 1,000 MW lost following a control room fire at Ghana's main hydropower plant on April 23, with Akosombo now generating at least 550 megawatts after bringing a fourth unit back online. GRIDCo and the Volta River Authority are continuing work to restore remaining units and transmission lines.
Ghana's Akosombo hydropower plant has restored at least 550 megawatts after engineers brought a fourth unit back online, recovering more than half of the roughly 1,000 MW lost in an April 23 control room fire. Work is ongoing to bring remaining units and transmission lines back to full capacity.
The Minority in Parliament has criticized the government's suspension of the GRIDCo CEO following a fire at Akosombo that disrupted power transmission, arguing that administrative actions alone do not address the underlying challenges facing Ghana's electricity supply system.
Ghana's Minority in Parliament has rejected claims that the April 23 fire at Akosombo substation caused ongoing power outages, insisting the electricity crisis predates the incident and began on January 25. Deputy Ranking Member Collins Adomako-Mensah stated the power crisis was caused by government mismanagement, not the accident.
A University of Education, Winneba lecturer has criticised the suspension of GRIDCo's CEO following a fire at the Akosombo power control room, arguing that the decision is difficult to justify given that a fire may be a natural occurrence beyond direct control.
The Minority in Parliament says government still owes Independent Power Producers more than $500 million and fuel suppliers over $200 million, contradicting official claims that power sector debts have been cleared. The Minority is demanding that the Ministers for Energy and Finance appear before Parliament to present a comprehensive and independently verified breakdown of the sector's finances, including how funds from the Dumsor levy have been collected and spent.
A disruption at Akosombo exposed risks in Ghana's centralised power grid, with potential loss of up to 1,000MW of transmission capacity—about 25 per cent of peak demand—affecting households, hospitals and businesses. The incident highlights why Ghana must rethink reliance on hydropower and move toward decentralised energy systems.
Following a fire outbreak at Akosombo generating station, only two units remain operational, according to the Energy Ministry. Engineering teams are working around the clock with expectations that full stabilisation efforts will be concluded by the end of the week.