Mahama declares end to dumsor in Ghana, credits IPP debt settlement for stable power supply

President John Dramani Mahama has declared that Ghana now has adequate electricity supply and is no longer experiencing the power outages popularly known as “dumsor,” crediting his government’s settlement of outstanding debts in the energy sector for the turnaround.

Speaking during an engagement with Ghanaians in Moscow, Russia, President Mahama said the government had cleared its outstanding debts to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and introduced a payment arrangement to ensure power suppliers receive payments on time for electricity supplied. He said the interventions had restored confidence among power producers, some of whom had previously threatened to suspend electricity supply over unpaid debts.

The president disclosed that when his administration assumed office, the government owed IPPs approximately $1.7 billion, in addition to outstanding payments for gas supplied from the Jubilee Field and by ENI. According to him, settling the debts was necessary to restore financial stability in the energy sector and prevent disruptions to electricity supply.

“With regards to energy, I can report that there’s no dumsor in Ghana. Everybody has adequate power. And that’s one of the areas that has been quite dramatic in terms of its management,” Mahama said. “I’m happy to announce that we have cleared the IPP debt. That is, we are current. Any energy they supply today, we’re paying them.”

President Mahama added that the government had also introduced a payment plan to settle the remaining obligations, involving initial payments and the settlement of subsequent amounts when they fall due. He said the arrangement had improved relations between the government and power producers, who were now satisfied with the payment structure. He maintained that the country had sufficient power to meet demand, adding that the management of the energy sector had improved significantly under his administration.

Background: From Crisis to Stability

The declaration marks a阶段性 summary of the energy interventions undertaken since the Mahama government took office in early 2025. In April 2026, Ghana experienced widespread power supply constraints due to a combination of factors, including transformer replacement works, transmission system limitations, and a fire at the Akosombo substation, fuelling public fears of a return of “dumsor.” In August 2026, the national grid suffered two consecutive nationwide failures, further raising concerns about grid reliability.

On the fiscal side, data previously published by Ghana’s Ministry of Finance showed the government paid approximately $1.47 billion in 2025 to settle legacy debts in the energy sector. This included over $597 million repaid to the World Bank to restore partial risk guarantees, about $480 million paid to ENI and Vitol for gas arrears, and roughly $393 million paid to IPPs for historical debts. In his February 2026 State of the Nation Address, Mahama also announced that renegotiations with nine IPPs had secured about $250 million in immediate savings and restructured approximately $1 billion in legacy debt over 36 months.

Planned Maintenance Outages Persist

Despite the president’s declaration, scheduled maintenance outages are still occurring in some areas. GRIDCo and ECG jointly announced that, due to critical upgrade works on the Anwomaso-Ahodwo transmission line in Kumasi, some communities will experience planned outages on weekdays (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) between October 30 and November 29, 2026, to ensure construction safety. Such maintenance-related interruptions differ in nature and scale from the persistent power crisis that plagued Ghana for years.

In his remarks, Mahama emphasised that energy sector management had improved “significantly” under his administration, with the focus now shifting from managing shortages to maintaining financial discipline and grid stability.