Dr. Yussif Sulemana, Technical Advisor and Second Gas Processing Plant Focal Point at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, has highlighted the vital role of Ghana’s oil and gas sector in driving economic growth and national transformation, describing the country as a safe and attractive destination for energy investment.

Dr. Sulemana made the remarks while representing the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, as the guest speaker at the 12th Oil and Gas Awards. He emphasised that, despite the global transition toward renewable energy, oil and gas remain essential to Ghana’s economic survival and industrial development.

“We are working the two in parallel. We are careful not to allow one to offset the other. Oil and gas will continue to drive our industrialisation agenda, and that is what we are championing,” he said, noting the Ministry’s balanced approach that allows oil and gas development to complement renewable energy investments.

Addressing past power supply challenges, Dr. Sulemana explained that the electricity disruptions experienced earlier in the year were resolved through deliberate, coordinated efforts. He highlighted government initiatives to revitalise both the upstream and downstream petroleum sectors to better support the power industry.

“For years, we treated the power and petroleum sectors as separate entities. Today, we have adopted a clear strategy centred on ‘Gas-to-Power’. Previously, we relied heavily on liquid fuels to generate electricity, which was costly and environmentally unfriendly,” he said.

Dr. Sulemana also pointed to renewed investor confidence in Ghana’s energy sector, describing both the power and petroleum industries as vibrant and investment-ready. He recalled that before 2024, international oil companies such as ENI were considering exiting the country due to unfavourable operating conditions.

However, recent policy reforms and an improved investment climate have encouraged major players to recommit. “ENI is currently planning investments of about US$1.5 billion, while our Jubilee partners are also expected to invest around US$2 billion, even with oil prices hovering in the low US$60 range,” he revealed.

He further noted that Ghana is actively reviewing its upstream petroleum framework, local content policies, and downstream infrastructure development, a process that is already yielding positive results for the sector.