Côte d’Ivoire: Government Explains Causes of Power Outages and Announces Emergency Measures

The Côte d’Ivoire government has provided clarification on recent electricity supply disruptions. The statement was made by government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly following the Council of Ministers meeting held on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at the Presidential Palace in Abidjan-Plateau, under the chairmanship of President Alassane Ouattara.

According to Coulibaly, “the current outages are mainly due to overloading of energy transmission cables, accounting for about 80% of the disruptions, and exceeding transformer capacities.” This situation has led to voltage drops observed in several neighborhoods across the country.

In response, the Ivorian government has initiated a two-tiered plan. In the short term, an emergency program worth approximately CFA 32 billion is underway. “This program should, within a few weeks, put an end to the outages in the Abidjan district,” assured the spokesperson.

For the long term, authorities are relying on a national electricity distribution network rehabilitation program, presented as the sustainable solution to stabilize electricity supply across the country.

The Minister of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy noted during the Council of Ministers that the situation is also linked to an exceptional surge in electricity demand, caused by an unusually intense heatwave, with temperatures about 14% above seasonal norms. This rise in temperatures has mechanically increased consumption by households and businesses, placing significant strain on existing infrastructure.

The government emphasized that firm instructions have been issued to accelerate the emergency program, whose launch has already been communicated to the public through national media.