A major fault on Ghana's national power grid has caused a nationwide blackout, cutting electricity to the capital Accra, the commercial hub Kumasi, and much of the north after several power plants shut down early on Wednesday morning. The outage, known locally as "dumsor" (meaning "on and off"), revives memories of Ghana's years-long power crisis, though the situation had been improving in recent times; state-run distributor GRIDCo said engineers were working to restore supply without compromising safety but gave no timeline.

The blackout has disrupted homes, businesses and essential services, with commuters struggling to travel after uncharged phones left them unable to pay fares or book taxis via apps such as Uber. Small businesses and digital services have also been hit, though hospitals and other major institutions generally have back-up generators. GRIDCo is investigating the cause; Ghana relies heavily on ageing, poorly maintained hydropower plants supplemented by gas generation, leaving the grid vulnerable to transmission failures and fuel supply disruptions.