Residents of Keta, like those in other parts of the Volta Region, have expressed frustration over the erratic power supply, which has disrupted businesses, public institutions, and households.
Ms Valeria Woedem Wedanu, a fishmonger, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, lamented that the unpredictable outages have made it difficult for traders who are dealing with perishable goods to plan effectively.
“The situation is very bad; we are tempted to believe that the country’s prolonged power crisis, known as “dumsor,” is returning without official communication,” she said.
She explained that other cold store operators have also faced the same situational challenges, which have taken a toll on many businesses, with frequent power outages risking the loss of perishable goods such as fresh fish.
She stated that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) had earlier announced planned maintenance exercises across parts of the country, including Keta, to improve service delivery and enhance system reliability, but many residents were worried and called for clear communication on the cause of the outages and measures being taken to address them.
“The persistent and unannounced power outages are becoming too much; the situation is worrying and disruptive to economic and social activities,” Ms Wedanu said.
Mr Manfred Agbeko, another resident, also urged the ECG to educate the customers to understand how electricity supply works within the energy sector and to report local faults such as line trips and phase outages promptly.
He said that proper communication and education would enable the customers to be aware of any development as well as help them adjust their daily activities.
He also argued that Ghana’s overdependence on fossil-fuelled thermal power generation and minimal investment in renewables could undermine the realisation of the Paris Agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
He said to address the power crisis, the government and energy sector agencies must prioritise the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass and invest in border community resilience, including youth employment, agricultural value chains, infrastructure, and local governance to enhance reliability and reduce the appeal of customers.
Meanwhile, some residents of Keta and other affected areas are advised to monitor official ECG communication channels for updates and to cooperate with field engineers during the maintenance period.
The persistent power outages have sparked concerns about the country’s economic and social development, with analysts estimating that Ghana loses around 2.1 million USD daily due to production losses caused by electricity supply challenges.
The country’s unreliability has also had adverse effects on crucial infrastructure such as water supply and telecommunications systems, and has impeded access to quality healthcare in some communities.
