Ghana Gas Chief Executive calls for stronger indigenous capacity, strategic partnerships and investment in the petroleum sector
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Gas Company Limited (Ghana Gas), Ms Judith Adjoba Blay, has called for a renewed focus on strengthening indigenous capacity and expanding opportunities for Ghanaian businesses as part of efforts to promote sustainable growth in the country’s petroleum industry.
She said Ghana’s local content agenda must move beyond participation percentages to focus on the quality of participation, technical expertise and the ability of indigenous companies to compete for complex assignments within the petroleum value chain.
Ms Blay made the call at the 2026 Local Content Conference and Exhibition (LCCE), held as part of activities marking the 15th anniversary of the Petroleum Commission.
Speaking on the theme, “Enriching Local Content for Sustainable Growth: Building a Resilient Upstream Sector Through Reforms and Partnerships to Spur Competitiveness and Investment,” she said Ghana had made considerable progress in promoting indigenous participation in the petroleum industry but needed to consolidate those gains.
According to her, Ghana’s local content framework and the work of the Petroleum Commission have become important reference points for emerging petroleum-producing countries such as Uganda, Namibia and Liberia.
She noted that these countries had looked to Ghana’s experience in developing their own local content policies and regulatory approaches, demonstrating the country’s progress in advancing indigenous participation.
Ms Blay, who spent eight years at the Petroleum Commission, described her participation in the anniversary celebration as a homecoming and commended the Commission for its contribution to Ghana’s local content development.
Ghana Gas strengthens indigenous capacity
The Ghana Gas CEO disclosed that the company had developed a fully indigenous workforce responsible for operating and maintaining its gas processing, distribution and transmission infrastructure.
She said the achievement demonstrated that Ghanaians had the technical expertise and capacity to manage strategic national assets when supported by deliberate investment in human capital, knowledge transfer and skills development.
The infrastructure, she noted, contributes to approximately 83 per cent of thermal power production and 30 per cent of LPG for domestic consumers, while supporting industrial development.
She, however, stressed that Ghana Gas intended to deepen its local content agenda by extending more opportunities to businesses and individuals within its operational catchment areas and host communities.
Major infrastructure expansion planned
Ms Blay said the growing demand for natural gas required Ghana Gas to expand its processing and transmission capacity to meet market needs, strengthen energy security and create additional opportunities for local businesses.
Among the strategic initiatives outlined were the addition of a third train compressor to enhance processing capacity and operational reliability, as well as the proposed construction of an approximately 278-kilometre Takoradi-Tema (T-T) Pipeline.
She explained that the projects would strengthen the resilience of the country’s gas infrastructure, support industrial expansion and create opportunities for Ghanaian companies, technical professionals and communities along the project corridors.
She said the expansion of the company’s infrastructure would also provide a platform for greater indigenous participation in the country’s growing energy sector.
Calls for increased upstream investment
The Ghana Gas CEO further emphasised the need for increased investment in the upstream petroleum sector to guarantee sustainable and reliable gas supplies for the company’s operations.
She explained that sustained investment in exploration, field development and production was essential to providing the feedstock required to optimise existing facilities, meet growing market demand and support future expansion plans.
On partnerships, Ms Blay said collaboration among indigenous companies, industry players and international partners would be critical to building stronger and more competitive local enterprises.
She observed that some opportunities in the petroleum industry had become increasingly complex and technical, making it difficult for individual indigenous companies to undertake them independently.
She therefore encouraged strategic partnerships, joint ventures and collaborations that would enable Ghanaian companies to combine their expertise, resources and capabilities to execute larger projects.
According to her, Ghana’s ultimate ambition should be to develop indigenous companies capable of competing not only within the domestic market but also across Africa and the global petroleum industry.
Commends Petroleum Commission
Reflecting on the Commission’s 15-year journey, Ms Blay expressed pride in having contributed to its local content development agenda and called for stronger collaboration between the Petroleum Commission and Ghana Gas.
She said the progress made over the years provided a strong foundation for building a more competitive, inclusive and sustainable petroleum industry.
She urged stakeholders to translate discussions at the conference into concrete actions that would deepen local content, strengthen indigenous businesses and drive sustainable growth.
She congratulated the Petroleum Commission on its 15th anniversary and expressed optimism that the conference would produce fruitful deliberations and practical outcomes for the country’s petroleum industry.
Story by:
Emmanuel Smart Amo
(The Punch Reporter)
