The National Electrification Scheme (NES) was instituted in 1989 with the policy objective of ensuring that all parts of the country are provided with reliable electricity supply by 2020. At the commencement of the NES in 1990, accessibility to electricity supply was estimated at about 20%. Ghana has since achieved an enviable record of having the highest electricity access rate in Sub-Saharan Africa. The national average access rate is currently at 87%. The target was to attain universal access by 2020, however this goal was pushed back to the year 2025.
- Current Access Rate: 87%
- Rural: 72.9%
- Urban: 100%
- Households without access to electricity: more than 1.3 million
- Target: Universal Access by 2025
| REGION | TOTAL % |
|---|---|
| UPPER WEST | 79.5 |
| UPPER EAST | 64.2 |
| NORTH EAST | 72.8 |
| SAVANNAH | 60.1 |
| NORTHERN | 80.5 |
| BONO | 93.1 |
| BONO EAST | 78.2 |
| OTI | 73.6 |
| AHAFO | 82.5 |
| ASHANTI | 93.6 |
| EASTERN | 88.9 |
| VOLTA | 90.9 |
| WESTERN NORTH | 78.5 |
| WESTERN | 92.6 |
| CENTRAL | 91.8 |
| GREATER ACCRA | 98.9 |
Grid Electricity Customer Population
In Ghana the grid customer population is predominately residential. For the year 2021 around 86% of the total customers belonged to the residential category. Still, in terms of final electricity consumption the non-residential sector is bigger, making up around 53% and in the year 2022. In comparison, in the United States of America the non-residential sector took up around 61%.
Electricity Access Rate (%)
The target was for Ghana to reach universal access by 2020 for all areas in the country. Whereas by 2017 in the urban area 100% access has been attained the metro and rural areas still lag behind. As a result the overall access rate in 2020 was 85.33% instead of the targeted 100%. That is why in 2019 the goal of universal access was pushed back by five years and is now set for 2025.