GNPC redefines local content as route to operatorship and national competence

Ghana National Petroleum Corporation’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kwame Ntow Amoah, has set out a bold new vision for the Corporation, redefining local content as the foundation for national operatorship and long-term energy security.

Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Local Content Conference and Exhibition in Takoradi, Mr. Amoah urged industry stakeholders to move beyond compliance and toward capability, describing local content as the true measure of Ghana’s readiness to compete regionally and globally. He stated that local content must evolve beyond procurement thresholds and percentage targets, adding that it must now represent local competence, local capital and local innovation, which are ingredients that will secure Ghana’s petroleum future.

Mr. Amoah revealed that GNPC’s ongoing work across both offshore and onshore basins forms a deliberate plan to achieve full operatorship. Progress on the Voltaian Basin Project, he noted, is bringing Ghana closer to its first onshore well, which will mark the country’s technical maturity and operational independence. He explained that through the plans the corporation is charting from offshore to inland basins, control is steadily being brought back to Ghanaians. The opportunities in both existing offshore fields and the Voltaian Basin provide new space for indigenous companies to thrive and blossom.

Highlighting GNPC’s transition into a capability driven national oil company, Mr. Amoah highlighted the imminent completion of the GNPC Research and Technology Centre, envisioned as a regional hub for applied innovation, data integration and industry academia collaboration. He also pointed to the adoption of AI assisted basin modelling and predictive maintenance as examples of how technology is reshaping exploration efficiency and knowledge transfer within the upstream space. He noted that the corporation is investing in technology, research and people, nurturing innovation that will make GNPC a leader.

The chief executive reaffirmed GNPC’s collaboration with the Association of Ghanaian Suppliers to strengthen vendor participation and embed local enterprises across the value chain. He stated that the corporation’s vision is a value chain that delivers real value to the people of Ghana, adding that revitalisation and redefinition mean growing together with local enterprises in mutually beneficial partnerships.

He called for stronger alignment among policymakers, investors and operators to build the policy and financing frameworks that will sustain Ghana’s energy transformation. He emphasised that there must be collaboration and not competition in capacity building, technology transfer and knowledge sharing, stressing that revitalising the exploration and production sector is both an industry imperative and a national responsibility.

As discussions on financing, innovation and gas monetisation continue through the week, GNPC’s evolving role as partner and operator remains crucial to shaping Ghana’s energy future.

About GNPC

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is mandated to undertake the exploration, development, production, and disposal of petroleum resources on behalf of the State to ensure sustainable value creation for the people of Ghana.