President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians of more stable electricity supply following the rollout of 2,500 new transformers to replace ageing and overloaded equipment across the country’s distribution network.
He gave the assurance on Sunday during a visit to the warehouse of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) in Tamale, where he inspected newly procured transformers aimed at tackling persistent localised power outages.
The inspection formed part of his two-day “Resetting Ghana Tour” of the Northern Region, during which he is engaging citizens, inspecting ongoing projects and initiating new ones.
President Mahama said the intervention was part of a broader effort to modernise Ghana’s electricity distribution system, improve reliability, and enhance customer service delivery.
He explained that although the National Electrification Programme had significantly expanded access to electricity since the 1980s, rapid population growth and urban expansion had placed pressure on existing infrastructure.
According to him, many transformers currently in use are over two decades old and no longer adequate for rising demand, leading to instability in supply in several communities.
“For many years, there has not been a mass replacement of transformers to upgrade their capacities,” he said, adding that Cabinet approval and support from the Ministry of Finance had made the nationwide procurement possible.
The President appealed to the public to be patient during the rollout, noting that some temporary outages would be necessary to facilitate installation, but stressed that such interruptions would be communicated in advance.
He also highlighted the fact that a significant number of the new transformers are being manufactured locally, describing this as an opportunity to strengthen domestic industry while improving energy infrastructure.
President Mahama further called for improved customer service by power distribution companies, urging them to strengthen call centres and response teams to deal swiftly with faults and complaints.
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, who briefed the President, said the main challenge in the sector lies at the distribution level, where many transformers are old, overstretched and operating beyond their capacity.
He said government had moved from assessment to implementation, with the deployment of high-capacity transformers now underway nationwide.
According to him, although NEDCo initially requested 400 transformers, government has allocated 500 to the company’s operational area.
He disclosed that installation had already begun, with 30 transformers scheduled to be installed in Tamale within the week, alongside additional works in Bole and other parts of the Northern operational zone.
Mr Jinapor added that similar upgrades are ongoing in other regions, including the installation of primary distribution transformers in Accra and the planned deployment of four new substations in Kumasi in May, as part of efforts to improve supply in the Ashanti Region and beyond.
He assured Ghanaians that government remains committed to resolving distribution challenges sustainably to prevent future recurrence of widespread outages.
