The Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, has welcomed the signing of the Phase Two agreement for Ghana’s US$28 billion Petroleum Hub project, describing it as an opportunity to stimulate economic growth and create jobs in the constituency.
Madam Affo-Toffey, who is also the Deputy Minister for Transport, said the project could open up employment, entrepreneurship and skills development opportunities for residents of Jomoro and the wider Western Region.
She joined the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, the Western Regional Minister, the leadership and board of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), and traditional authorities from Jomoro and the wider Nzema area for the signing ceremony.
The agreement, signed between the PHDC and an international consortium led by Global Sphere, is expected to advance the development of Lot Two of the strategic national project under a Build-Operate partnership arrangement.
The Petroleum Hub is part of Ghana’s ambition to strengthen its position in the petroleum and energy industry, with the project expected to attract investment, support industrial growth and create opportunities across various sectors of the economy.
For Jomoro, the project presents an opportunity to expand employment, stimulate local businesses and accelerate infrastructure development.
Jomoro residents must benefit
The MP stressed that the project must translate into tangible benefits for the people of Jomoro, particularly the youth, local entrepreneurs and communities expected to be affected by its development.
She said the anticipated investment could create opportunities for young people to secure employment, acquire technical and professional skills, establish businesses and participate in the petroleum industry’s growing value chain.
Madam Affo-Toffey also emphasised the need to position local businesses to benefit from opportunities in the supply of goods and services, construction, logistics, technical support and other related activities.
She reaffirmed her commitment to advocating policies and practical measures that would enable residents to participate meaningfully in the project rather than remain on the margins of the anticipated economic transformation.
According to her, the success of the Petroleum Hub should not be measured solely by the scale of investment it attracts, but also by its impact on livelihoods, household incomes, local enterprise development and the long-term economic prospects of communities in Jomoro.
Call for skills development and local participation
The Deputy Transport Minister highlighted the importance of targeted training and skills development to prepare young people for employment opportunities as the project progresses.
She also called for measures to ensure local participation in the emerging industrial value chain, stressing the need for the benefits of the investment to extend beyond the project’s immediate operations.
The Phase Two agreement marks another milestone in the development of the Petroleum Hub, with the partnership expected to help advance the next stage of the project.
As implementation progresses, collaboration among stakeholders, effective execution and sustained engagement with host communities will be important to ensuring that the anticipated economic and social benefits are realised.
Madam Affo-Toffey reiterated her commitment to working with relevant government institutions, project authorities, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to advance the interests of the people of Jomoro.
She maintained that the constituency must be strategically positioned to take advantage of opportunities arising from the project, particularly in employment, entrepreneurship, technical training and infrastructure development.
