The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has reaffirmed its commitment to boosting local content and ensuring fair participation in Ghana’s oil and gas industry, stressing that compliance remains the cornerstone of successful vendor partnerships.
The call was made at GNPC’s maiden Vendor Engagement Seminar, held as part of the corporation’s 40th anniversary celebrations in Accra. The event brought together suppliers, contractors, and industry stakeholders under the theme “Promoting Local Content and Local Participation through Vendor Engagement.”
The Chief Executive Officer of GNPC, Kwame Ntow Amoah, underscored the corporation’s drive to grow with Ghanaian enterprises through transparent procurement practices. “The theme of this engagement goes to the heart of GNPC’s mandate. For us, Local Content is not merely a regulatory requirement. It is central to our strategy to grow together with local enterprises in a mutually beneficial partnership, ensuring our nation’s resources create real opportunities for our people, businesses, and communities,” he said.
Barbara Afriyie-Owusu of GNPC’s Supply Chain and Local Content Development Department emphasised that compliance was “like oxygen—you don’t always notice it, but you cannot survive long without it.” She warned vendors against common mistakes that derail bids, including incomplete forms, expired certificates, missing documents, late submissions, and wrong file formats.
“With GNPC’s tender process now fully digital, excuses like traffic delays or narrowly missed deadlines no longer hold, as the system automatically locks at closing time,” she explained. She advised contractors to read tender documents carefully, seek clarifications early, engage professional support if required, and submit bids ahead of time.
Afriyie-Owusu stressed that fair competition depended on adherence to technical specifications and deadlines. “It is a competition, and everyone wants to win. Paying attention to deadlines, technical specifications, and compliance requirements ensures fairness in the process. GNPC’s doors are open to all, but only those who meet the requirements will succeed,” she stated.
The seminar also featured input from the Petroleum Commission, which outlined Ghana’s local content framework, and the Public Procurement Authority, which introduced vendors to the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) as a tool to enhance efficiency in tendering.
On the sidelines of the event, Seidu Salim Braimah, Manager of GNPC’s Supply Chain and Local Content Development, reaffirmed the corporation’s commitment to sourcing goods and services from local vendors, particularly within its operational areas. He highlighted opportunities for indigenous firms in projects such as the Voltaian Basin and encouraged businesses to view procurement as a pathway to growth, trust, and participation in the oil and gas sector.
GNPC stressed that its procurement agenda is designed to deliver value not only to the corporation but also to local communities, while strengthening Ghana’s role as a competitive player in the global energy industry.