Major cities in Ghana, Benin, and Togo have been plunged into darkness due to a significant disruption in gas supply from Nigeria. This blackout, affecting key urban areas, results from maintenance work being conducted by a Nigerian gas producer.
The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCO) in Accra reported a marked decrease in available gas volumes for transportation. According to a statement released last Wednesday, WAPCO attributed the gas shortage to maintenance on a producer’s facility in Nigeria, expected to last three weeks.
“The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited regrets to announce a drop in gas volumes due to ongoing maintenance by one of our Nigerian producers,” WAPCO stated. This shortage impacts the gas transported to customers in Togo, Benin, and Ghana, a situation beyond WAPCO’s control.
The Ghana Grid Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana confirmed the outage, explaining that since June 12, 2024, reduced gas supply has led to power interruptions in several areas.
“Due to reduced gas supply from Nigeria, some regions have experienced power supply interruptions,” their joint statement read. The ongoing maintenance, anticipated to continue for three weeks, is the root cause of the current power outages.
