Energy sector challenges recurring due to ad-hoc solutions — Ing Kosi Dedey
Engineer and energy analyst, Ing Michael Kosi Dedey, has attributed Ghana’s recurring power sector challenges to a lack of long-term planning and reliance on ad hoc interventions.
His comments come as the country continues to experience intermittent electricity supply over the past two weeks, affecting households, businesses and essential services.
The outages were initially linked to transformer upgrade works by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The situation was later worsened by a fire outbreak at the GRIDCo Akosombo Substation, which reportedly resulted in a loss of about 1,000 megawatts from the national grid.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, April 29, Ing Dedey said successive governments have failed to implement comprehensive solutions despite repeated energy crises.
He argued that existing technical projections by the Energy Commission are often ignored by political actors, leading to short-term fixes rather than sustainable interventions.
“All the governments, if you look at it, have always had crisis when it comes to power… that is an indication that we are not dealing with the issue the way it should be dealt with,” he said.
He further criticised what he described as political interference and poor adherence to national planning frameworks.
“We deal with it in ad hoc ways… without long-term planning, you cannot resolve issues properly. It’s always going to be ad hoc, and that is what we are suffering as a people,” he stated.
Ing Dedey also raised concerns about poor enforcement of zoning regulations, noting that industrial areas have gradually been converted into residential and commercial spaces without corresponding upgrades to power infrastructure.
He cautioned that such developments continue to place pressure on the national grid, resulting in low voltage and persistent instability in electricity supply.