Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson, has called on stakeholders in Ghana’s petroleum industry to ensure that the country’s oil and gas wealth directly benefits local communities and translates into sustainable regional development.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Local Content Conference and Exhibition (LCCE), the minister said Ghana’s petroleum sector remains central to the country’s industrial future, but its true impact will only be realized when local communities experience tangible improvements in livelihoods and economic opportunities.
“The benefits of petroleum development must translate into real, lasting improvements in local livelihoods and community well-being,” Nelson said.
“This is why platforms like the LCCE are critical, they allow us to reflect, evaluate, and renew our collective commitment to inclusive local content and sustainable regional growth.”
Nelson emphasised that revitalising petroleum exploration and production is not just an industrial goal but a regional economic priority.
“The Western Region hosts Ghana’s major oil infrastructure from ports and fabrication yards to supply bases employing thousands of workers,” he said.
“When the sector thrives, its impact resonates across local economies, strengthening communities, expanding opportunities, and reinforcing shared prosperity.”
He noted that Ghana’s Local Content and Local Participation Regulations, 2013 (L.I. 2204) had significantly improved the participation of Ghanaian companies in the petroleum value chain from catering and logistics to construction, fabrication, and environmental services.
However, he urged stakeholders to expand the scope of local content beyond contracts and procurement to include human capital development, research, and community empowerment.
“Local content must mean local empowerment the growth of businesses, the strengthening of institutions, and the upliftment of the communities on whose lands and in whose waters petroleum is produced,” Nelson stressed.
The Regional Minister encouraged industry players to strengthen partnerships with technical universities and research institutions to promote innovation, skills development, and technology transfer.
He said the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC), in partnership with the Petroleum Commission, had intensified community engagement mechanisms to ensure that host communities are properly informed and consulted through Social Investment Programmes (SIPs).
“We are also working closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local assemblies to monitor environmental compliance and uphold the highest standards of safety and sustainability,” he added.
Nelson urged all companies operating in the region to prioritise environmental protection, invest in community development, and maintain open communication channels with local authorities.
Since the discovery of oil in the Jubilee Field in 2007, followed by the TEN and Sankofa-Gye Nyame projects, the Western Region has become the epicentre of Ghana’s energy transformation.
Yet, Nelson warned that for the sector’s success to endure, its benefits must be more evenly distributed across local economies.
He commended the Petroleum Commission for institutionalising the annual Local Content Conference, describing it as a valuable forum for policy innovation and business collaboration.
Engineer Austin Uzoka, Senior Advisor at Nigeria’s Local Content and Monitoring Board, also urged Ghana to see local content as a competitive economic tool rather than a form of nationalisation.
“Local content should act as a catalyst to reduce capital flight by creating a reliable and competitive supply chain,” he said. “It must enable locals to own key assets that influence procurement decisions.”
He called for stronger partnerships between government, industry, and academia to develop strategic skills that prepare local firms to compete globally.
The 2025 LCCE is expected to focus on investment opportunities, local content policy reforms, and innovation, featuring panel discussions, exhibitions, and executive networking sessions aimed at driving a more competitive and inclusive energy economy.
