The Power Cut Chronicles: How Dumsor Shapes Daily Life
By Korkor
Accra, Ghana — It’s 8:15 p.m. in a quiet suburb of Dansoman. A toddler is halfway through brushing his teeth. A university student is typing a term paper. And a tailor is midway through hemming a dress for a Sunday wedding. Then, the lights go out.
“This is the third time today,” sighs 27-year-old Kobby Appiah, holding up his phone flashlight. “You never really get used to it — but you adjust.”
Welcome to the unofficial time zone of Ghana: “Dumsor.” A term combining the Akan words dum (off) and sor (on), it’s more than slang — it’s a lifestyle. A routine. A national inconvenience that has come to define modern urban survival.
What Exactly Is Dumsor?
While Ghana has one of West Africa’s most developed power sectors, it still struggles with:
- Generation shortfalls (when demand exceeds production)
- Transmission and distribution challenges
- Maintenance delays and technical faults
- Fuel shortages for thermal plants
- Policy and budgetary inconsistencies
The result? Rotational outages that can last from 30 minutes to 12 hours — often without prior notice.
Life by Flashlight
In homes across Ghana, dumsor has reshaped how people live:
- Students like Kobby plan their studies around power schedules, often sleeping during the day and reading at night
- Families have learned to cook in bulk and store food in coolers
- Businesses invest in inverters, generators, or power banks to stay productive
- Others simply wait it out — sweating in the dark, hoping the fan kicks back on soon
“I have a baby,” says Eunice Amoah, a nurse in Kumasi. “When there’s no light, she cries nonstop. It’s stressful.”
The Business of Backup
The rise of dumsor has created an entire sub-economy:
- Generators and power banks are now big-ticket consumer items
- Rechargeable fans, lanterns, and light bulbs sell out frequently
- Cold store owners invest in solar freezers or lose inventory daily
- Cyber cafés and printing shops charge higher rates to offset generator fuel
“Some weeks, I spend more on fuel than I make in profit,” says Samuel Dodzi, who runs a phone repair shop in Ho.
Toll on Mental and Physical Health
Beyond economic losses, power cuts take a psychological toll:
- Anxiety about upcoming deadlines or ruined meals
- Sleep deprivation from heat and interrupted routines
- Strained relationships due to stress and discomfort
- Feelings of helplessness and distrust in authorities
“I get migraines from sleeping in heat,” says Eunice. “But what can I do? Complain to who?”
Community Creativity
Despite the frustrations, Ghanaians have adapted with creative resilience:
- Parents organize neighborhood storytelling or board games during outages
- Communities invest in shared solar lights or battery-powered fans
- Businesses like salons and barbershops operate early in the morning or late at night when power returns
- Mosques and churches offer charging points for phones and lamps
“Dumsor has taught us time management,” Kobby says. “And how to improvise.”
Who’s to Blame?
Power outages are not just a technical issue — they’re deeply political:
- Accusations fly between ruling and opposition parties over failed investments or corruption
- Power companies cite tariff non-payments and infrastructure delays
- Citizens, tired of blame games, demand consistent solutions
In 2015, widespread public protests forced the government to fast-track power deals. But a decade later, load-shedding still looms.
The Hope of Renewable Energy
Experts argue that Ghana’s future must lean toward diversified power sources:
- Investments in solar, wind, and biomass are slowly growing
- Some communities now rely on mini-grid systems powered by solar
- The government has committed to increasing renewable capacity by 10% by 2030
But implementation remains slow, and for now, diesel generators still dominate the stopgap market.
What the People Want
Ghanaians aren’t asking for perfection. They want:
- Transparency — accurate load-shedding timetables
- Efficiency — faster restoration and fewer disruptions
- Investment — in renewable tech, grid upgrades, and rural electrification
- Accountability — for power deals and tariff hikes
“We’re not ungrateful,” says Samuel. “We just want light. Consistently.”
Final Thought
Dumsor is more than darkness — it’s a national inconvenience that lights up conversations, sparks memes, frustrates industries, and challenges creativity.
But if there’s one thing Ghana’s power cuts have revealed, it’s this: Ghanaians know how to endure — and innovate.
As Kobby puts it, laughing softly while charging his phone at a local kiosk:
“We’ve mastered the art of living in the light — even when it’s out.”