GNPC outlines plans to strengthen indigenous operatorship and local content development

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has outlined plans to expand its role as an indigenous petroleum operator while strengthening opportunities for Ghanaian businesses and professionals in the upstream petroleum industry.

The Petroleum Commission announced this at the 2026 Local Content Conference and Exhibition (LCCE) in Takoradi.

Speaking at the conference held under the theme, “Enriching Local Content for Sustainable Growth: Building a Resilient Upstream Sector Through Reforms and Partnerships to Spur Competitiveness and Investment.” GNPC Chief Executive Mr. Kwame Ntow Amoah said the Corporation was pursuing a long-term strategy to develop the technical, commercial, and institutional capabilities required to assume greater responsibilities in petroleum exploration and production.

“Our long-term ambition remains to transform GNPC from an emerging operator to a world-class operator, technically proficient, commercially competitive and able to manage complex petroleum assets to deliver sustainable value for Ghana,” he stated.

Mr. Ntow Amoah said GNPC Explorco’s growing operational role formed part of this ambition, alongside efforts to establish two strategic subsidiaries responsible for oil and gas trading and shared services.

He explained that the proposed subsidiaries would create opportunities for partnerships with Ghanaian and international investors, with the possibility of eventual listing on the stock exchange to encourage wider Ghanaian equity participation.

On human capital development, the Chief Executive announced the rollout of the first cohort of GNPC’s Graduate Trainee Programme, involving 75 newly employed graduates who will undergo two years of experiential training and mentorship.

He also highlighted GNPC’s marginal fields development programme, designed to unlock approximately one billion barrels of oil and 2.5 trillion cubic feet of gas through a cluster-based approach intended to improve commercial viability and create opportunities for local participation in shared infrastructure.

Providing an update on GNPC’s onshore exploration activities, the Chief Executive said preparations were progressing toward drilling the first exploration well in the Voltaian Basin before the end of 2026.

He confirmed that conductor casings had been transported to the drilling site, while contractual processes were being pursued to enable the mobilisation of Xibu Rig 70559 before the end of the year.

Mr Ntow Amoah noted that beyond assessing the Basin’s hydrocarbon potential, the programme would provide opportunities for Ghanaian professionals and businesses to develop expertise in onshore petroleum operations, engineering, logistics and project execution.

The Chief Executive stressed that Ghana’s local content ambitions require sustained investment in the upstream petroleum sector, citing the approved Greater Jubilee Further Development Plan and progress toward additional investments in Sankofa–Gye Nyame as opportunities for Ghanaian contractors and service providers.

He also reported that GNPC spent approximately US$3.67 million on locally sourced goods and services in 2025, while its vendor development initiatives engaged about 200 suppliers across 2025 and 2026.

In April 2026, the Corporation organised a procurement sensitisation workshop for 44 vendors to improve their understanding of procurement procedures and the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS).

To further support indigenous businesses, GNPC has engaged the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to explore partnerships with financial institutions to develop financing arrangements for technically capable Ghanaian contractors.

The proposed arrangements would address challenges related to performance guarantees and equipment financing, which often affect indigenous companies’ ability to compete for higher-value petroleum contracts.

Mr Ntow Amoah also disclosed that GNPC had undertaken local content benchmarking missions to Nigeria, Senegal, and Angola, complemented by a review of experiences in Norway and Brazil.

He explained that lessons from these engagements were informing consideration of a more structured, Group-wide approach to local content development across GNPC and its subsidiaries. He called for greater emphasis on developing competitive indigenous enterprises and retaining technical expertise and economic value within the country.

GNPC’s participation in the 2026 LCCE demonstrates the Corporation’s commitment to building the technical, commercial and institutional capabilities needed to operate as a world-class indigenous operator. It also underscores its resolve to ensure that Ghanaian businesses and professionals share meaningfully in the value created across the upstream petroleum industry.