President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ministers for Finance, Works and Housing, and the Attorney General to conclude negotiations aimed at resolving issues surrounding the stalled Teshie Desalination Plant and restore water supply to affected communities.

The Minister for Works and Housing, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, disclosed this during a tour of the facility on Wednesday, March 11.

He explained that the President has tasked the three ministries to work together to ensure the long-standing challenges with the plant are addressed.

According to him, discussions are currently ongoing with the owners of the facility to resolve.

“The President has directed me [Works and Housing Minister], the Finance Minister and the Attorney General to ensure that we get the Teshie Desalination Plant issue resolved. Consultations are ongoing. The owners of the plant were in town, we met them, and negotiations are still underway. Very soon, we will conclude the discussions and ensure the plant resumes operations,” he said.

Mr. Adjei acknowledged that the shutdown of the plant has become a major challenge for the country, particularly for communities along the coastal belt in the Greater Accra Region.

“We are seriously working on the Teshie Desalination Plant. It is one headache we have as a country. We continue to plead with residents in Teshie, Nungua and surrounding areas. We know it is also affecting people in Prampram, and I have directed Ghana Water Company Limited to ensure the issue is resolved,” he added.

The Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant, which converts seawater into potable drinking water, was shut down in October 2025 by Ghana Water Company Limited due to unresolved contractual obligations between the state utility and the operators of the facility, as well as concerns over inadequate maintenance.

GWCL indicated at the time that the shutdown was necessary to avoid further contractual complications and to ensure the safety of the facility.

Since its closure, water shortages in the Teshie-Nungua enclave of Accra have worsened significantly. Areas hardest hit include Teshie, Nungua, Baatsona, Spintex, Sakumono, La and surrounding communities.

Background

The Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant, inaugurated in 2015, was designed to produce about 13 million gallons of treated water per day from seawater to supply residents along the coastal belt.

The facility was expected to serve about 500,000 people in communities including Teshie, Nungua, Baatsona, Sakumono and parts of the La Dade Kotopon Municipality.

The project, valued at $126 million, was completed in February 2015 with support from Abengoa Water of Spain and Sojitz Corporation of Japan, and was commissioned on April 17, 2015, by the President of Ghana at the time.