Aker Energy, Petroleum Commission agree increase in funding for local capacity building
Aker Energy is to increase its funding for local capacity building in oil and gas to USD$5 million
Newly-appointed CEO of Aker Energy, Kadijah Amoah, has announced the firm will increase its funding for local capacity building in oil and gas to USD$5 million.
Amoah assumed her new position on 4 January 2021. Her first act as CEO is to increase Aker Energy’s contribution to the Petroleum Commission’s Accelerated Oil and Gas Capacity program (AOGC) from US$4.5 million to US$5 million dollars.
“This is yet another demonstration of our commitment to empower Ghanaians so we can be in full control of our oil and gas resources. I am determined to use my new position to bring maximum benefit to the Ghanaian people. This starts with a committed investment in the human resource base. The goal is very clear: We are creating a fully Ghanaian operator managed and run by Ghanaians,” Amoah stated.
The AOGC was established in November 2017 with the intent to enhance the capacity of Ghanaians to enable them to work in the oil and gas sector. Aims to train individuals in various technical and vocational areas, build the capacity of educational institutions to be able to train students and provide internationally recognized training certificates, provide business and management training for SMEs, and to ensure the continuous professional development of employees of various public institutions connected to the oil and gas industry.
An initial commitment from Aker Energy of US$4.5 million is yet to be disbursed due to a change in the scope of the AOGC. The Petroleum Commission changed the scope of the program to cater for a greater number of Ghanaians for high impact.
The new scope includes the construction of a modern training facility in Ghana instead of the original plan to provide the training to selected Ghanaians abroad.
The Petroleum Commission has since identified the campus of the Takoradi Technical Institute as the site for the new training facility.
Aker Energy agreed to the new scope paving the way for implementation to begin later this year with increased funding. Aker Energy has a commitment to AOGC which we are honoring.
The CEO of the commission, Egbert Faibille Jnr, also observed that “access to international capital to develop the oil resources in Ghana is less certain now than pre COVID-19”.
He said: “Any step in the direction of building local capacity to be able to develop it ourselves is a step in the right direction. Therefore, both the appointment of Mrs. Amoah and this increased amount, is noted with appreciation by the Petroleum Commission.”
Aker Energy under the leadership of Amoah will closely monitor the new project. “We are happy to contribute to the realisation of this ambition and we look forward to working with the Petroleum Commission to fast track implementation.”
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