Future of Ghana’s Oil Hangs on Local Participation

Ghana gas CEO

By Benson Afful

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Gas, Mr. Ben Asante, said, the oil and gas industry cannot develop if the country fails to train local people to work in the industry.

Speaking at the Ghana Energy Summit in Accra, he said the sustainability of the oil and gas industry depends on the human capital of the country. We cannot depend on consultants to develop the oil and gas industry. We need to build the capacity of the local people to participate in the industry.

Ghana gas, he said is a very young company, started operation in 2015. And, by March 2017 Ghanaians did the entire operation processing plant. “I think this is the kind of story that we should try to perpetuate in our industry. When you look at the entire chain, starting from exploration and production, which is very capital intensive, we don’t have a lot of local content participation in exploration and production.

Ghana National Petroleum Corporation

Down the chain, there is increasingly higher local participation, and the capital requirement also goes down.

Everyone has an opportunity to participate in the oil and gas sector. Engineering services, procurement services, among others, each present an opportunity for everyone. He said gas is going to take over the world as it gets many uses. Which is not limited to power and it’s very friendly to the environment. Mr. Asante encouraged Ghanaians to come on board the oil and gas sector and to explore opportunities the sector offers.

Following the 2007 oil find, pressure was mounted on the government drafted a local content policy for the oil and gas sector. The policy document is a comprehensive document that addresses all aspects of local content in the quest to realize the maximum benefit from the oil and gas sector. These actions will lead to the creation of a self-sustaining economy.

In this vain, the government has its vision for the Sector, a commitment to deploying an effective local content, capacity development and local participation by Ghanaian citizens in all roles.

Policy objectives provided for in the policy document, however, there has been very little done to ensure local participation in the sector, an area which demands technical skills.