GNPC CEO To Promote Local Capacity And Energy Sector Inclusivity At African Energy Week 2021.
July 15, 2021
The confirmed speaker attendance of the GNPC’s CEO, Dr. Sarpong, will advance a discussion on local participation, capacity and inclusivity across the entire energy sector value chain.
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) is excited to announce that Dr. K. K. Sarpong, CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has confirmed his attendance at the upcoming African Energy Week (AEW) 2021 interactive conference and exhibition. Joining Ghana’s Minister of Energy, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and a delegation of industry leaders from the country, Dr. Sarpong will speak at the event, driving a dialogue around the value of local content, the pursuit of local capacity and participation, and the role of women in the country’s oil and gas sector.
An industry leader with over 35 years-experience in executive management, Dr. Sarpong has served as CEO of the GNPC since 2017. Under his leadership, the GNPC has made significant progress in accelerating exploration and production across the country. In 2019, the GNPC, in partnership with Springfield E&P, made a billion-dollar discovery in the West Cape Points Block 2, offshore Ghana, emphasizing the world-class standard of its local companies. Ghana has placed upstream activities at the forefront of sectoral growth and continues to attract significant levels of foreign investment through a favorable investor and enabling environment. However, it is local Ghanaian companies that are driving energy sector growth and Dr. Sarpong’s participation at AEW 2021 will only emphasize this.
Dr. Sarpong’s participation at AEW 2021 is set to drive a discussion on the value of local content, promoting the role of local companies and people in creating sustainable project developments. The GNPC’s primary vision “to be a leading global oil and gas company, whose operations have a profound impact on the quality of life of the people of Ghana.” With a mandate “to ensure that Ghana obtains the greatest possible benefits from the development of its petroleum resources,” the GNPC aims to maximize local content within the energy mix, empowering indigenous businesses within the value chain in a bid to boost job creation and economic growth.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sarpong is a strong advocate for the development of local capacity, promoting the role of Ghanaian companies and people in advancing the energy sector. During a speech at the 2nd Energy Summit in Ghana in 2019, Dr. Sarpong stated that “there is a recognized need to develop local capacity in all aspects of the oil and gas value chain through education, skills and expertise development, transfer of technology and know-how and promote an active research and development regime through collaborative efforts locally and internationally.” Dr. Sarpong promotes local participation as a “sustainable way of realigning the sector and the needs of the country in terms of employment creation and economic growth whilst reducing the impact of capital flight on the economy.” By driving a narrative around the value and role of local businesses and Ghanaian people in accelerating long-term, sustainable project developments, Dr. Sarpong will emphasize self-dependency at AEW 2021, pushing for an ‘Africa beyond aid.’
“Ghana serves as an example for other African nations looking to expand energy sectors and ensure long-term and impactful growth. With the goal of creating a viable, self-dependent economy on the back of sustained investor interest and an active local private and public sector, Ghana is leading the way in ensuring energy investments reap tangible benefits for the local community and overall economy. Dr. Sarpong’s participation at AEW 2021 in November will not only enhance the value of African local content, but place a direct focus on the potential of African nations, African people, and African businesses in fast-tracking continent-wide growth,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, the AEC.
What’s more, Dr. Sarpong’s attendance is set to drive a discussion around the value of local content, gender equality and increase local capacity in the oil and gas sector. As a strong advocate for women’s participation in the energy workforce, especially considering board and executive positions, Dr. Sarpong is leading the way regarding gender inclusivity, recognizing the role that women have to play in accelerating progress and driving sectoral growth.
