Affo-Toffey welcomes Phase II agreement for US$28bn Petroleum Hub Project, pushes for local benefits

Deputy Minister for Transport Dorcas Affo-Toffey expressed her delight over the signing of the Phase II agreement for Ghana's $28 billion Petroleum Hub Project. She highlighted the agreement as a significant chance to generate employment and spur economic growth at the local level. The signing ceremony brought together the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, the Western Regional Minister, the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC) leadership and board, and traditional authorities from Jomoro and the broader Nzema area.

The Phase II agreement, a collaboration between the PHDC and an international consortium led by Global Sphere, is set to propel the development of Lot Two of the strategic national project via a Build-Operate partnership. This project aligns with Ghana's objective of bolstering its standing in the global petroleum and energy sector through heightened investment, industrial development, and job generation.

For Jomoro, the project promises substantial prospects for economic metamorphosis, including a potential surge in employment opportunities, a boost to business activities, and a rapid acceleration of infrastructure development within the constituency and the wider Western Region. Affo-Toffey underscored the necessity for the promised investment to yield concrete benefits for residents, especially the youth, local business owners, and affected communities.

She emphasized that the project could furnish young people with employment prospects, technical and professional skills, entrepreneurship opportunities, and entry into the petroleum industry's expanding value chain.

The MP also stressed the importance of enabling local businesses to capitalize on contracts and commercial possibilities arising from the project in sectors like construction, logistics, goods and service supply, technical support, and other related fields. She stressed that residents should not be sidelined from the anticipated economic transformation but should be empowered to meaningfully contribute to the project's growth and operations.

Affo-Toffey argued that the success of the Petroleum Hub should be gauged not merely by the magnitude of investment it attracts but also by its impact on livelihoods, household incomes, local enterprise expansion, and the long-term economic outlook of communities in Jomoro.