Mahama announces 2,500 new transformers to boost power stability
President John Dramani Mahama has announced the procurement of 2,500 transformers for nationwide installation as part of efforts to improve electricity stability and address persistent power fluctuations.
Speaking in Tamale, during the inspection of new transformers at NEDCo Yard, President Mahama explained that many of Ghana’s power challenges stem from outdated infrastructure that has not kept pace with rapid population growth and expanding communities. He noted that when the National Electrification Programme began in the 1980s, Ghana’s population stood at about 18 to 19 million, compared to over 33 million today.
According to him, the significant increase in population has placed enormous pressure on existing transformers, many of which were installed decades ago and are now unable to meet current demand.
Citing Nungua as an example, President Mahama said a transformer installed about 22 years ago is now overstretched due to the expansion of the community, leading to unstable power supply in the area.
“You can imagine that the transformer was installed 22 years ago, and since then the community has expanded beyond its capacity. That is why you have the lights being very unstable,” he stated.
He added that for several years, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) had not undertaken large-scale upgrades to replace aging transformers.
President Mahama revealed that following a request by the Minister for Energy, Cabinet approved the procurement, with support from the Ministry of Finance to fund the initiative.
“As we speak, we have acquired about 2,500 transformers for installation nationwide. After this first phase, we expect to see a significant improvement in power stability,” he said.
The President indicated that the transformer installations will be carried out in phases, with a long-term plan to continuously replace old and overloaded equipment to meet growing electricity demand.
He also appealed to Ghanaians for patience, assuring that the ongoing outages are temporary and will be resolved as the new transformers are deployed across the country.
