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GHANA-ELECTRICITY
Ghana hit by nationwide power outage
ACCRA, March 8, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Ghana suffered a nationwide power cut on
Sunday, the west African country’s electricity provider GRIDCo said, as it
attempted to restore power.
The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) said it was dealing with “a total
system shutdown”.
“At approximately 2.10pm on Sunday March 07, 2021, a challenge in the power
system led to a total system shutdown. This led to an interruption in power
supply to all parts of the country,” the company said in a statement.
“The technical team is currently working to restore power supply,” it
added. “GRIDCo is also working to ascertain the reasons behind the total
system shutdown.”
Ghanaians took to social media to express their frustration.
“Can you give us a timetable for these power outages. It’s so not cool.
We’re fed up and we can’t continue to suffer in this heat in our own homes,”
Vivian Quartey posted on Facebook.
“GRIDCo and ECG what is this? Do you want to destroy our home appliances?
Enough!!” Frank Dodoo added on Twitter.
Power had still not returned in the capital Accra by 1845 GMT, an AFP
reporter said.
Some 84 percent of Ghana’s population has access to electricity, according
to the World Bank — one of the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa.
The country has both hydropower and thermal plants fuelled by crude oil and
natural gas, and exports power to Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso.
However, power cuts are frequent — a problem that sparked major
demonstrations in Ghana in 2015.
The country has enjoyed one of the fastest rates of economic growth in the
world since the 2000s, fuelled by its significant supplies of gold, cocoa and
oil.
However, some regions continue to suffer chronic poverty, and the global
Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to Ghana’s economy.
Ghana’s economic growth is set to fall this year to 0.9 percent, according
to International Monetary Fund forecasts — the lowest rate for 30 years.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0841 hrs