Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has called for increased development of domestic natural gas resources and stronger regional cooperation to shield African economies from global energy disruptions.
Speaking during a ministerial panel at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) and African Energy Chamber (AEC) Strategic Forum during African Energy Week 2026, in Cape Town, South Africa, Jinapor said upstream gas development should be linked to power generation, industrial competitiveness and regional energy integration.
The panel examined how Africa could balance domestic natural gas utilisation with its export ambitions.
“For Ghana, natural gas is central to power generation and energy security,” Jinapor said in a post on Facebook.
“Increased gas availability to our thermal power plants has reduced reliance on liquid fuels,” he added.
He said developing domestic resources and expanding regional gas cooperation would help mitigate external shocks and strengthen Africa’s collective energy security.
Regional infrastructure, including the West African Gas Pipeline, offered opportunities to expand cross-border trade, improve market integration and deliver benefits to both gas-producing and consuming countries, he added.
Jinapor said Ghana would continue to use natural gas to support reliable electricity generation while expanding renewable energy and other sustainable solutions under its green transition agenda.
He described the approach as a pragmatic and balanced strategy that links gas development to the country’s wider energy and industrial needs.
Discover more from Energy News Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.