The Government of Ghana has convened a high-level technical committee to address the country’s worsening power crisis, with a directive to present a comprehensive roadmap by the end of today, Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Acting Spokesperson at the Presidency, reassured Ghanaians during a press briefing that the government is taking decisive steps to prevent a nationwide energy crisis exacerbated by insufficient fuel supplies for thermal power plants.
“Government has been briefed. It’s pretty urgent,” Mr. Ofosu Kwakye said. “A technical committee with representatives from all key players in Ghana’s energy sector has been established. They have until the close of today to submit a detailed roadmap. Rest assured, government is taking this matter seriously and will do what it takes to avert hardship for the people of Ghana.”
$90 Million Needed to Avert the Crisis
A report by the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) indicates that nearly $90 million is urgently required to procure alternative fuel sources, such as light crude oil, to sustain thermal power generation in Tema. 
The energy crisis stems from a disruption in natural gas supply caused by a pigging exercise on the West African Gas Pipeline. The report outlines several strategies, including revising maintenance schedules, securing alternative fuels, and considering load-shedding only as a last resort, to mitigate the crisis’s impact.
Blame on Delayed Maintenance
Mr. Ofosu Kwakye disclosed that the pipeline maintenance exercise, initially scheduled for October 2024, was postponed to January 2025 by the previous administration to allow time for procuring alternative fuel sources.
“It needs to be stressed that the pigging exercise, or if you like, the maintenance exercise on the pipeline, should have been carried out in October last year,” he explained. “The then-government, under the NPP, requested a deferment to January 2025, assuring sufficient time to procure the required fuels. Unfortunately, it appears that promise was not kept.”
The Acting Spokesperson further revealed that the former administration had given firm assurances during national security briefings that the transition period would not affect energy supplies.
Government’s Swift Action
Despite the challenges inherited, the Mahama administration has committed to resolving the crisis swiftly. “We’ve been in government for one day. You can’t order fuel and have it delivered in one day,” Ofosu Kwakye remarked, underscoring the urgency and complexity of the situation.
He assured citizens that “as a responsible government, we’ve taken up the mantle to do what is right,” and reiterated the administration’s focus on minimizing the crisis’s impact.
The findings of the technical committee, expected later today, will inform the government’s immediate steps to stabilize Ghana’s energy sector and prevent prolonged outages.
Public and Industry Reactions
The power crisis has already sparked concern among businesses and households, with many hoping for swift government intervention. Industry players have also called for transparency and long-term strategies to prevent recurring energy challenges.
The government’s decisive actions in its early days will be closely watched as a test of its commitment to restoring stability and fostering sustainable development in Ghana’s energy sector.
