Research and policy analyst at the Institute of Energy Security, Xatse Derick Emmanuel, says the recent Akosombo substation fire incident should serve as a major wake-up call for Ghana’s power sector.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM's Top Story on Tuesday, April 28, Mr. Emmanuel described the development as more than an isolated accident, warning that it has exposed deep structural weaknesses in the country’s electricity system.

“The Akosombo incident is not just an accident. It is a stress test that has revealed gaps in our power sector, especially when it comes to resilience,” he said.

According to him, the scale of disruption—triggered by the loss of nearly 1,000 megawatts of power following the substation failure—highlights the absence of adequate backup systems around critical transmission infrastructure.

He explained that with stronger redundancy measures in place, the impact of such an incident could have been significantly reduced.

“If we had stronger backup systems around such a critical transmission, the damage would have been more minimal,” he noted.

Mr. Emmanuel stressed the need for deliberate investment in system resilience, including periodic maintenance and contingency planning to ensure the grid can withstand unexpected shocks.

He, however, commended the government for its immediate response, particularly efforts to investigate the incident and mobilise engineers to restore power supply.

“It is commendable that the problem has been acknowledged and steps are being taken, including investigations and efforts by engineers working around the clock to restore supply,” he said.