A major power outage disrupted electricity across large portions of Ghana on Thursday, May 1, 2025, after a tipper truck accident damaged critical transmission infrastructure near Nkawkaw.
The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) confirmed in a joint statement that the blackout, which began at 1:42 p.m., originated when a truck unloading stones at a private construction site inadvertently raised its bucket into a high-voltage conductor along the Nkawkaw–Konongo Transmission Line.
The collision caused extensive damage to the power line, triggering a cascading failure that shut down plants in Aboadze and Anwomaso. This left the Western, Central, and Northern regions, along with parts of Accra, without electricity for several hours. Engineers from GRIDCo and ECG swiftly mobilized to repair the grid, aiming to restore full power by 6:00 p.m. the same day.
Dzifa Bampoh, GRIDCo’s Corporate Communications Manager, and William Boateng of ECG apologized for the disruption, urging patience as crews worked to stabilize the grid. The companies emphasized that the incident underscores vulnerabilities in Ghana’s power infrastructure, particularly risks posed by unregulated construction activities near transmission corridors.
This outage revives longstanding concerns about the resilience of the national grid, which has faced similar failures in recent years. In 2023, a wildfire near Kumasi caused a partial grid collapse, while illegal mining operations have repeatedly damaged power lines. Analysts stress the need for stricter enforcement of safety regulations near critical infrastructure to prevent future incidents.
The outage impacted households, businesses, and industrial operations, highlighting the economic repercussions of such disruptions. As Ghana pursues energy sector expansions, balancing development with infrastructure protection remains a pressing challenge for policymakers and utility providers.
Authorities have pledged to review construction protocols near transmission lines, though calls for comprehensive regulatory reforms grow louder. For now, residents and businesses await assurances that proactive measures will curb recurring threats to the nation’s power stability.
Read the full statement below:
