Ex-VRA CEO reveals top three causes of Akosombo Dam spillage disaster

Ing. Isaac Kirk Koffi, a former CEO of the Volta River Authority (VRA), led a committee investigating the Akosombo Dam spillage disaster. He identified three main factors that caused widespread devastation in September 2023.

In September, the VRA conducted a controlled spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams. This was meant to protect the dams' structural integrity. Unfortunately, it resulted in catastrophic flooding, submerging thousands of homes and displacing entire communities downstream.

The newly elected Mahama-led administration promised to investigate the flooding causes. On March 14, 2025, Energy Minister John Jinapor formed a five-member committee led by Ing. Koffi to look into the incident.

During an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, Ing. Koffi discussed key issues contributing to the crisis. He highlighted human settlement patterns, technical decisions, and poor stakeholder coordination as major factors.

He noted that people live in flood zones both upstream and downstream. He suggested protecting these areas with legal measures to prevent future habitation. If no one lives there during spillages, human activities will not be affected.

Ing. Koffi stated that while the dam was structurally sound, technical responses were lacking. The decision to spill water was made but not adequately safeguarded against risks. Other dams have collapsed due to similar issues; however, this dam's gates functioned properly during the spillage.

He also mentioned that excessive inflow contributed to the need for spillage. Regarding inter-agency coordination, he pointed out deficiencies that worsened the impact of flooding.

Koffi emphasized that cooperation among stakeholders needs improvement, especially regarding emergency preparedness plans. The Committee will submit findings and recommendations aimed at preventing future disasters.

Mahama warned that VRA leaders would be dismissed if such flooding occurs again.