Kwame Owusu Danso, Executive Director of Lands and Mines Watch Ghana, has maintained that Ghana is not in the midst of a power crisis, despite renewed public concern over electricity supply interruptions in parts of the country.
Speaking in an interview on recent developments in the energy sector, Mr. Danso acknowledged the existence of operational and structural challenges but insisted that the current situation does not constitute a full-scale crisis.
“There is no power crisis in this crisis,” he stated, suggesting that although there are difficulties, they have been overstated in some quarters of public discourse.
His remarks come against the backdrop of intermittent outages reported by households and businesses, raising concerns about a possible return to “dumsor,” the prolonged period of erratic power supply that significantly affected the country’s economy in the past.
Mr. Danso explained that while disruptions in power supply can create uncertainty, they must be carefully assessed within the broader context of generation capacity, distribution efficiency, and ongoing reforms within the sector.
He noted that Ghana’s energy sector has, in recent years, undergone considerable expansion, with improvements in installed generation capacity and diversification of energy sources. However, he pointed out that inefficiencies in distribution, financial constraints, and maintenance challenges continue to pose risks to stable supply.
According to him, addressing these underlying issues requires sustained policy attention and coordinated action among key institutions, including power producers, regulators, and government agencies.
Mr. Danso further cautioned against alarmist narratives, arguing that exaggerated claims of crisis could undermine investor confidence and create unnecessary public anxiety.
“Public discourse must be guided by facts and a clear understanding of the sector’s dynamics,” he said, adding that a balanced national conversation is essential to ensuring effective and sustainable solutions.
He also urged the government and relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts toward long-term planning, investment in infrastructure, and improved governance within the energy sector.
Energy analysts have similarly emphasized the need for structural reforms to address recurring inefficiencies, particularly in the areas of revenue collection, transmission losses, and fuel supply reliability.
While concerns persist among sections of the public, Mr. Danso reiterated that the current challenges, though significant, remain manageable and should not be misconstrued as a systemic failure of the power sector.