Ghana’s petroleum hub requires unified action - Petroleum Hub CEO at inter-agency dialogue
The Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), Dr Toni Aubynn, has called for sustained and meaningful collaboration among regulatory and government agencies to ensure the successful delivery of Ghana’s ambitious Petroleum Hub project.
Speaking at the corporation’s first-ever Inter-Agency Dialogue on April 30, 2025, Dr Aubynn said the hub’s realisation depends not on isolated efforts but on coordinated action across both public and private institutions.
“We are here because we recognise that the success of Ghana’s petroleum hub vision is interlinked—not with one agency, one ministry, or one entity—but with the harmonised efforts of many institutions,” Dr Aubynn said in his keynote address.
The summit, themed “Building the Energy Hub of Choice: Unlocking Synergies for a Globally Competitive Petroleum and Petrochemical Hub”, brought together sector ministers, heads of regulatory authorities, and industry leaders to explore how improved coordination can enhance investor confidence and eliminate bottlenecks.
According to Dr Aubynn, fragmented efforts have already cost the country valuable investment opportunities. He said duplication, delayed approvals, and inconsistent communication contribute to perceptions of bureaucracy that deter potential investors. He urged all institutions involved in the hub project to adopt a culture of timely and transparent inter-agency coordination.
“Too often, our efforts have been siloed. We’ve had good intentions but fragmented actions. The result? Delays in policy execution, missed investment opportunities, and a general perception of bureaucracy that deters the very partners we are trying to attract,” he stated.
He added that the PHDC’s vision for the hub goes beyond physical infrastructure, aiming to position Ghana as the heartbeat of West Africa’s energy transformation through job creation, innovation, and industrialisation.
“We envision a hub that becomes the beating heart of energy transformation in West Africa—a hub that creates jobs, drives innovation, builds local capacity, and strengthens Ghana’s economic sovereignty,” Dr Aubynn said.
Deputy Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon Richard Gyan-Mensah, also addressed the forum, highlighting Ghana’s geographic advantage and petroleum assets as key to becoming a regional energy leader. He acknowledged the Petroleum Hub project as central to government policy and urged stakeholders to break down institutional silos for faster and more effective results.
Similarly, Minister of Trade and Industry Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare described the project as a cornerstone of Ghana’s trade strategy, stressing that it has the potential to position the country as a regional trading powerhouse.
The panel discussion featured CEOs from the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Petroleum Authority, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, all of whom pledged their commitment to streamlining licensing and permitting processes for the hub.
The event ended with a collective pledge from participating agencies to improve coordination and execution, with PHDC Deputy CEOs Halimatu Sadia Abdulai Abu and Onasis Rosely delivering the opening and closing remarks respectively.