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Gambia: President Barrow Vows To Improve Power Supply By End Of October After Banjul Protest
Gambia President Adama Barrow on Tuesday pledged to address widespread electricity shortages affecting households and businesses, saying power supply would improve by the end of October.
The pledge came amid growing public anger over persistent outages that have disrupted daily life and economic activity across the country, prompting street protests in the capital Banjul on Monday night.
Protesters carried candles through parts of Banjul and chanted for the restoration of electricity, according to local reports. The demonstrations prompted Barrow to visit the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) on Tuesday.
Addressing the nation from State House on Tuesday evening, Barrow said the government was taking steps to increase domestic generation capacity, including the installation of an additional 24 megawatts at the Brikama Power Station and plans for a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Soma.
“I must admit, however, the shortcomings in our planning, power generation, and maintenance systems to take corrective measures,” Barrow said.
The president acknowledged the hardship caused by the outages, saying families were enduring extreme heat, children were studying in darkness and households were losing food because of inadequate refrigeration.
“I am aware of your discomfort and frustrations wherever you may be,” he said.
Barrow attributed part of the electricity crisis to wider regional power shortages, saying countries connected through the West African Power Pool were experiencing similar challenges.
He cited record electricity demand, failures at major generating units and seasonal conditions affecting hydropower production through the Organisation for the Development of the Gambia River (OMVG).
The president also acknowledged that domestic weaknesses had contributed to the situation.
An additional 24-MW generation unit at the Brikama Power Station is in the final stages of installation and is expected to be commissioned by the end of October, Barrow said.
He also said a contract had been awarded for a 50-MW solar power plant in Soma and that the contractor was mobilising resources to begin construction.
Solar generation would help meet daytime demand while allowing conventional generators to be reserved for higher evening demand, he said.
Barrow also announced the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Electricity Supply, chaired by Vice President Muhammed B.S. Jallow.
The task force will report directly to the president and provide public updates on the electricity situation every two weeks, he said.
Barrow defended his administration’s record on expanding electricity access, saying it had risen from 36% of the population in 2017 to about 90% currently.
He said the expansion had brought electricity to communities that previously had no access, but acknowledged that the government now needed to ensure sufficient and reliable generation to meet rising demand.
“What we have achieved in increasing access to electricity is what we are determined to do for power generation,” Barrow said.
The president also appealed for restraint following the protests and warned against damage to transformers, power lines and other electricity infrastructure.
“You have the right to express your views honestly, but let us not, in our frustration, tear down what we built with our own hands through public funds,” Barrow said.
Damage to electricity infrastructure would further disrupt supplies and divert government resources towards repairs and replacement, he said.
Barrow stopped short of promising an immediate end to the outages but set a timeline for improvement.
“I will not promise you what the Government cannot deliver, but we commit that the electricity supply situation in the country will improve by the end of October 2026,” he said.
He urged Gambians to remain patient and exercise restraint as engineers and government officials work to stabilise the electricity system.
African Energy Future Depends On Competitive Local Operators, Says Ashgrove CEO
Africa must build strong and competitive indigenous energy companies to accelerate economic development and compete in global markets, Mahmud Tukur, group chief executive of Ashgrove, said.
Speaking during a panel discussion at Africa Oil Week titled “The Future of the African Operator: Building the IOCs of Tomorrow”, Tukur said continued reliance on foreign capital and expertise would not deliver long-term value for the continent.
Governments, investors and industry should instead support local companies with the governance, technical expertise and financing needed to undertake complex upstream projects, he said.
“The continent can only compete internationally by deliberately building strong indigenous operators that can grow into internationally competitive companies,” Tukur said.
He said African energy companies would need to be innovative, digitally enabled, well financed and well governed to meet international performance standards and compete for larger projects.
Tukur also highlighted human capital development, including leadership development, skills training and greater participation by women, as important to building companies capable of delivering large-scale projects and retaining more value within Africa.
He said the development of stronger indigenous operators was part of a broader goal of increasing Africa’s energy sovereignty by building companies capable of attracting investment, supporting industrialisation and retaining more economic benefits on the continent.
Stronger balance sheets and corporate governance could also enable African companies to secure a larger share of upstream and midstream contracts, potentially changing deal structures and the allocation of project risks, Tukur said.
He said investment in skills and greater diversity, particularly increased participation by women, would be essential to improving the competitiveness of African operators and their ability to deliver projects.
Technology and digitalisation would also be important competitive differentiators for emerging African operators, he said, citing the adoption of digital tools and innovative business models.
Tukur called for effective policies, clearer local-content frameworks, capacity-building programmes and strategic public-private partnerships across the energy value chain to accelerate the development of homegrown international oil companies (IOCs).
Ghana Urges Greater African Control Of Oil Resources At Africa Oil Week
Ghana’s Energy and Green Transition Minister John Abdulai Jinapor has urged global oil and gas investors to support greater African ownership, local capacity and stable policy frameworks, saying the continent needs to capture more value from its hydrocarbon resources as the energy transition gathers pace.
Jinapor told delegates on the second day of Africa Oil Week in Accra that Africa should not remain a passive supplier of raw materials while decision-making, technology and profits are transferred overseas.
He called for partnerships that strengthen domestic institutions and expand the role of African companies in exploration, production and oilfield services.
“The future of our energy sector must be shaped by Africans, for Africans, with room for global capital and expertise,” Jinapor said.
Ghana is seeking to position itself as an investment destination and regional energy hub, he said.
Jinapor urged governments to create predictable regulatory frameworks to attract long-term investment while protecting national interests.
He highlighted the need for stronger local-content policies, skills development and infrastructure, saying African energy companies needed to meet international standards to compete globally.
Speaking amid debate over how to balance hydrocarbon development with efforts to cut emissions, Jinapor described the energy transition as an opportunity rather than a constraint.
A managed transition could generate jobs, government revenues and industrial growth without forcing countries to choose between economic development and sustainability, he said.
Delegates at the conference continued discussions on upstream investment, regional cooperation and the role of African independent producers in a changing energy market.
Jinapor said Ghana would continue working with private investors and regional partners to develop opportunities while seeking to ensure that its natural resources contribute to broader economic growth.
Kenya Power To Invest KSh765 Million In Two Substations In Kwale, Kilifi Counties
Kenya Power plans to invest about 765 million Kenyan shillings (approximately $5.9 million) to build two substations in Kwale and Kilifi counties as it seeks to improve the reliability and quality of electricity supply in the coastal region, the utility said.
The company is nearing completion of the Bomani 132/33 kV substation in Kilifi County, which is being built at a cost of 455 million shillings.
The substation will serve growing electricity demand from existing and new customers in Kikambala, Vipingo, Kanamai and Mtwapa, Kenya Power said in a statement.
The areas have experienced increased industrial and commercial activity as large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises expand from nearby Mombasa, the utility said.
Customers in the areas are currently supplied by the Kilifi and Bamburi 132/33 kV substations, whose capacity is coming under pressure as demand increases, it said.
Kenya Power is also nearing completion of a 33/11 kV substation in Kwale County at a cost of 310 million shillings.
The substation will have four feeders serving the Kwale county headquarters and surrounding areas, including Kinango, Tiwi and Kombani.
The Kwale substation will reduce pressure on the Diani substation, which currently supplies the areas, and provide alternative supply points for customers, the company said.
“Network reliability and customer service excellence are one of our key focus areas as we undertake our role to provide electricity for economic growth,” Kenya Power Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joseph Siror said.
“We are committed to ensuring that these projects are completed within the set timelines and budget, to provide value to our customers,” he said.
Siror said Kenya Power was undertaking similar projects elsewhere in the country, including network reinforcement projects aimed at improving grid resilience.
The company is also incorporating technology into its network development plans as it seeks to build a smarter grid and improve customer service, he said.
During the financial year ended June 2026, Kenya Power connected 411,710 new customers to the electricity grid, taking its total customer base to 10.4 million, the company said.
The increase in customer connections contributed to a 161.7 gigawatt-hour (GWh) rise in electricity sales during the year, it added.
GNPC Outlines Investment, Exploration And Commercial Priorities At Africa Oil Week
Ghana must continue to improve its competitiveness to attract the capital needed to sustain production from existing oil fields, develop discovered resources and advance new exploration opportunities, the chief executive officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Kwame Ntow Amoah, has said.
Speaking at Africa Oil Week, held at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra from Sept. 1 to 3, Ntow Amoah said Ghana needed to compete for investment by providing predictability, competitive project economics, timely decision-making and partnerships that deliver value to both investors and the country.
“Ghana must compete for capital through predictability, competitive project economics, timely decision-making, and partnerships in which both investors and the country derive fair value,” he said.
Amoah also highlighted ongoing frontier exploration in the Voltaian Basin as part of efforts to expand Ghana’s long-term petroleum resource base.
His comments came as the government outlined measures aimed at improving the country’s upstream investment environment and encouraging further exploration activity.
GNPC Deputy Chief Executive for Exploration and Production Michael Aryeetey also participated in Ghana Day discussions on new investment opportunities in the upstream sector.
He moderated a panel involving GNPC Explorco, the Petroleum Commission and industry operators.
The discussion focused on conditions needed to attract exploration capital and move projects towards development, including access to geological data, regulatory efficiency, project economics, commercially aligned partnerships and a competitive investment environment.
A key development at the conference was the signing of a memorandum of understanding involving the Government of Ghana, GNPC, Shell Overseas Holdings Limited and Chevron Sub-Saharan Africa Ventures Ltd. concerning petroleum exploration and production rights over the South Deepwater Tano Block.
The conference also provided an opportunity for GNPC to outline its commercial priorities.
GNPC Deputy Chief Executive for Finance, Commercial and Administration Hamis Ussif said discussions about certainty for upstream investors should also recognise the corporation’s role as an investor.
“Even as a national oil company, let us not forget that in one breath we are an investor and we require certainty as well,” he said.
Ussif said GNPC’s ability to access capital and plan around predictable revenues would become increasingly important as the corporation assumes greater investment and commercial responsibilities.
Managing Director of GNPC Explorco Samuel Opoku Arthur said the subsidiary was seeking to build an exploration and production portfolio through direct investment and partnerships.
He said Explorco was taking on commercial risk by committing equity, funding its share of work programmes and investing alongside partners, which he said would align the interests of the parties around project delivery.
GNPC also engaged investors, operators and other industry stakeholders at its exhibition booth during the conference, where it presented opportunities in Ghana’s upstream sector and outlined its operations and strategic priorities.
Ghana: TUC Warns World Bank Against ECG, NEDCo Privatisation Push
Ghana’s umbrella labour organisation, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has strongly rejected what it describes as the World Bank’s attempt to facilitate the privatisation of Ghana’s electricity distribution sector.
The union has warned that it will use every legal means available to resist any move to hand over the operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) to private operators.
The TUC’s position follows renewed discussions over the proposed Private Sector Participation (PSP) programme for Ghana’s electricity distribution sector and recent comments by the World Bank Country Director, Dr Adrian Alter, during an interview with Channel One Television on August 24, 2026.
In a statement signed by TUC Secretary-General Joshua Ansah, the union said Dr Alter’s description of the proposed PSP arrangement as involving “only revenue collection” was misleading and did not accurately reflect the model being considered for the sector.
According to the TUC, the Transaction Advisor appointed with the backing of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has proposed a structure under which private operators would take responsibility for electricity distribution from the Bulk Supply Points (BSPs) of the National Interconnected Transmission System through to end-users.
Under the proposed arrangement, the TUC said, ECG and NEDCo would retain ownership of their distribution assets, while private companies would be responsible for operating the networks.
The union said such operators would undertake both technical and commercial functions, including billing, revenue collection, customer management, network maintenance and electricity-loss reduction.
“This is not merely revenue collection,” the TUC argued, insisting that the proposed arrangement would effectively transfer key operational functions currently performed by ECG and NEDCo to private companies.
The union therefore challenged the World Bank’s assertion that ECG would not be privatised, describing the position as “disingenuous.”
TUC Questions World Bank’s Energy Policy
The TUC also criticised what it described as the World Bank and IMF’s continued focus on inefficiencies and losses within Ghana’s electricity distribution sector, while allegedly paying insufficient attention to the high cost of electricity generation.
According to the union, Ghana’s heavy reliance on Independent Power Producers (IPPs) has contributed to high generation costs, particularly because several power purchase agreements contain significant foreign-exchange components and “take-or-pay” obligations.
The TUC argued that these arrangements have placed a substantial financial burden on the country and, ultimately, on electricity consumers.
The union believes the World Bank should therefore consider the challenges associated with Ghana’s existing generation model before pushing further reforms at the distribution end of the electricity value chain.
It also questioned the Bank’s continued emphasis on “cost-reflective” electricity tariffs, arguing that consumers should not be made to bear the full burden of inefficiencies and expensive generation contracts.
Uganda’s UMEME Experience Cited
The TUC cited Uganda’s experience with private electricity distribution as a warning against Ghana following a similar path.
The union referred to UMEME, Uganda’s former private electricity distribution concessionaire, arguing that what began as a private-sector role focused on distribution eventually resulted in broader influence over the country’s electricity system.
The TUC also compared electricity prices in Uganda and Algeria, arguing that Algeria’s predominantly public model has delivered significantly lower electricity costs.
The union maintains that Ghana should carefully examine the experiences of other African countries before committing to private-sector control of electricity distribution.
Rural Electrification Raises Questions
The TUC further challenged the assumption that private-sector participation automatically produces better outcomes in the electricity sector.
It cited rural electricity-access figures which, according to the union, show relatively strong access levels in countries where the state maintains significant ownership, control and management of electricity distribution.
The union referenced countries including Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Rwanda, and contrasted them with Nigeria and Uganda, where private-sector participation in electricity distribution has been more pronounced.
The TUC argues that the evidence demonstrates the need for Ghana to strengthen and reform public-sector capacity rather than treat privatisation as the default solution to challenges in the electricity distribution sector.
TUC Recalls Ghana’s Privatisation Experience
The union also invoked Ghana’s experience under the Structural Adjustment Programme, during which more than 100 state-owned enterprises were privatised.
According to the TUC, organised labour has not forgotten what it describes as the social and economic consequences of those reforms, particularly job losses.
The union argues that the privatisation of state-owned enterprises was based on the expectation that the private sector would replace the role of the state, an outcome it says did not always materialise as expected.
For the TUC, the proposed PSP programme for ECG and NEDCo raises concerns that Ghana could be repeating aspects of its past privatisation experience.
“We Did Not Vote for the World Bank”
The union has framed the debate not only as an economic issue but also as one concerning national sovereignty.
The TUC said Ghanaians elected a Ghanaian government to govern the country and make decisions concerning strategic national assets, including the electricity distribution companies.
“Ghanaians voted for a Ghanaian government to run the country including running the Electricity Company of Ghana,” the union said, arguing that the country’s sovereignty over strategic assets should not be outsourced to international institutions or transaction advisors.
The TUC insists that any decision on the future of ECG and NEDCo must be made in the national interest and through Ghana’s own democratic and institutional processes.
TUC Draws the Line
The TUC said it and its affiliates remain “intensely opposed” to the privatisation of Ghana’s electricity distribution sector.
“We will do whatever it takes legally to stop the privatisation of ECG and NEDCo,” the union warned.
Gambia: Banjul Residents Stage Candlelight Protest Over Prolonged Power Outage
Residents of Gambia’s capital Banjul staged a candlelight protest on Monday night over a prolonged electricity outage, with demonstrators calling for an end to what they described as persistent power cuts.
Videos seen by Energy News Africa showed residents carrying candles through parts of the capital and chanting, “Bring back power, we are tired of the darkness.”
Some protesters also shouted, “Banjulians deserve better,” reflecting growing frustration over unreliable electricity supplies.
Power was unavailable in several parts of the Greater Banjul Area on Monday, disrupting households and businesses and prompting renewed public concern about the country’s electricity supply.
The protest came days after President Adama Barrow said his government was working to address the country’s electricity challenges. Barrow has also announced the arrival of three power generators as part of efforts to strengthen electricity supply.
The government has repeatedly pointed to investments and other interventions in the energy sector while acknowledging continuing challenges with power generation and supply.
Electricity becomes election issue
The electricity crisis is also emerging as a major political issue ahead of Gambia’s presidential election scheduled for December 2026.
Coalition 2026 flagbearer Talib Ahmed Bensouda criticised the government’s handling of the electricity crisis at a rally in Brikama on Sunday, accusing Barrow of failing to resolve the country’s power problems since taking office in 2017.
Bensouda has proposed liberalising the electricity sector and eventually selling the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) to private operators, arguing that they could run the utility more efficiently.
The government has defended its record of investment in the energy sector, while opposition politicians have pointed to continued outages as evidence that further action is needed.
Gambia has significantly expanded electricity access in recent years, with access now estimated at around 90%, but the country remains dependent on electricity imports through the regional power system, adding to the challenges of maintaining a stable supply.
The latest protest underscores the growing pressure on the government to deliver more reliable electricity as the country heads towards the 2026 presidential election.
Oil Prices Approach $100 After Attacks Hit Saudi Energy Facilities
Oil prices rose toward $100 a barrel on Tuesday after attacks on energy facilities in southern Saudi Arabia forced a temporary halt to some operations and raised fresh concerns about disruptions to Middle East oil supplies.
Saudi Arabia said several energy-sector facilities and installations in the southern region bordering Yemen were targeted on Tuesday morning.
The attacks sparked fires at several locations, according to the Saudi Press Agency, which cited an official source at the Energy Ministry.
Specialized field teams were working to contain the fires, secure the sites and assess the damage, the ministry said.
Several residents were injured, although Saudi authorities did not identify the facilities targeted or specify the operations that were suspended.
“Authorities are continuing to address the repercussions of the attacks,” the ministry said, adding that measures were being taken to protect facilities and personnel and maintain operations under approved contingency plans.
The attacks came a day after the Iran-aligned Houthi movement targeted Saudi Arabia’s Jazan oil refinery on the Red Sea coast, according to reports.
The 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery has been targeted several times since July.
The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, have also threatened shipping linked to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising concerns over the security of a key route for global energy supplies.
Saudi Arabia has been moving more crude through its western facilities and export routes as disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have intensified.
Oil markets have already been under pressure from escalating tensions between the United States and Iran and growing concerns about the security of energy infrastructure and shipping routes in the region.
Brent crude was trading near $99 a barrel in Asian hours on Tuesday, at around $98.70, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2.89% to about $94.12 a barrel.
The latest attacks add to uncertainty over the outlook for regional oil production and exports, with investors watching closely for any further damage to Saudi facilities or wider disruptions to Middle East supply.
Ghana: Civil Society Group CEMSE Calls For Disclosure Of State Energy Firms’ Performance Contracts
Ghana’s State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) and the Ministry of Finance should publicly disclose annual performance contracts signed with state-owned entities in the energy sector, the Center for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE) said.
CEMSE Executive Director Benjamin Nsiah said greater disclosure would allow the public and other stakeholders to assess the targets set for state entities and monitor their performance.
Performance contracts are intended to establish targets for financial performance, operational efficiency and service delivery between the government and specified state entities.
The call comes after SIGA released its 2024 State Ownership Report, which showed significant revenue growth in Ghana’s energy sub-sector but also high financing costs that contributed to a consolidated net loss of 9.67 billion Ghana cedis.
The report showed financing costs of 9.39 billion cedis, offsetting operational gains in the sub-sector.
State power distributor Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has continued to face financial challenges, while the Energy Ministry has signed new performance agreements aimed at improving efficiency, according to CEMSE.
Nsiah said publishing the agreements would enable stakeholders to determine whether performance targets were realistic and assess whether management had met its commitments.
“Disclosing these contracts would empower stakeholders to assess whether targets are realistic, monitor compliance, and hold management accountable for results,” Nsiah said.
Regulation 196 of Ghana’s Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378), requires specified state entities to enter into annual performance compacts with the finance minister, based on advice from SIGA.
CEMSE said, however, that the public currently has limited access to the contents of the agreements, creating an information gap over the performance expectations placed on state entities.
SIGA’s 2024 report covered 70 specified entities.
Nigeria:Dangote Refinery Proposes 525 Naira Share Price For IPO, Targets 2 Trillion Naira
Dangote Group Chief Executive Officer Aliko Dangote said on Monday that the proposed initial public offering (IPO) of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE will have a minimum subscription of 10 ordinary shares, costing 5,250 naira ($3.9).
The IPO comprises 4.1 billion ordinary shares, each with a nominal value of $0.000013, at an offer price of 525 naira per share, Dangote said.
“We intend to raise just a bit more than 2 trillion naira,” Dangote said, according to TheCable, adding that the proceeds would be used to fund the expansion of the refinery.
Dangote said the minimum subscription was designed to allow a broad range of Nigerians, including workers and lower-income earners, to acquire a stake in the refinery.
The offering would also provide subscribers with an opportunity to build long-term savings through their investment, Dangote said.
“The IPO is positioned not simply as a capital-raising exercise, but as an opportunity for workers, entrepreneurs and everyday Nigerians to participate in the refinery’s future growth,” Dangote Refinery said.
Dangote described the offering as an “IPO for the people”.
The refinery, located in Lagos, is one of Africa’s largest oil refineries and has a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
The company has said it plans to expand its operations as part of its broader growth strategy.
The proposed offering, which is expected to raise more than 2 trillion naira at 525 naira per share, would represent a major transaction for Nigeria’s capital market.
Dangote Refinery has described the planned offering as the biggest IPO in Africa’s history.
TotalEnergies Completes Acquisition Of Galp Interests In Namibia Licenses
French multinational oil and gas company TotalEnergies has completed the acquisition of Galp’s 40% operated interest in Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 83, which holds the Mopane discovery.
Meanwhile, Galp has acquired from TotalEnergies a 10% participating interest in PEL 56, which holds the Venus discovery, and a 9.39% participating interest in PEL 91.
Following the transactions, TotalEnergies now holds a 40% operated interest in PEL 83, alongside Galp (40%), Namcor (10%) and Custos (10%). In PEL 56, TotalEnergies holds a 35.25% operated interest alongside QatarEnergy (35.25%), Galp (10%), Namcor (10%) and Impact (9.5%).
In PEL 91, TotalEnergies holds a 33.09% operated interest alongside QatarEnergy (33.03%), Namcor (15%), Impact (9.5%) and Galp (9.39%).
Commenting on the transaction, TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné thanked the Namibian authorities for their swift approval of the strategic transaction with Galp.
“TotalEnergies’ entry as operator of the giant Mopane discovery marks a key milestone in our journey to establish a major production hub in Namibia,” he said.
“This transaction positions TotalEnergies as the operator of Namibia’s two largest oil discoveries and strengthens its position in the Orange Basin, supporting the long-term value creation from these prolific licences. Exploration opportunities are already lining up beyond the Mopane development, which we will start appraising as early as the second half of 2026, with the aim of taking the final investment decision (FID) on the project in 2028, following a three-appraisal-well campaign,” he added.
TotalEnergies has been present in Namibia since 1964 and employs around 70 people. The company is also the third-largest fuel distributor in the country, with 43 service stations.
In line with its multi-energy strategy, TotalEnergies is also exploring local opportunities to develop low-carbon projects in Namibia.
The company operates PEL 56, PEL 83 and PEL 91 and is progressing the completion of its entry as operator of PEL 104.
Ghana: Petroleum Hub Offers Tax Incentives To Attract Investors, PHDC CEO Says
Ghana’s $60 billion Petroleum Hub project offers attractive fiscal incentives to investors, including a 10-year tax-free period from the start of production, the chief executive of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), Dr. Toni Aubynn, said.
Speaking at Africa Oil Week 2026 in Accra, Aubynn said the project had been structured as a free zones development, with investors enjoying a 100% tax exemption during construction and the first 10 years of production, after which they would pay a 15% tax rate.
He contrasted the incentives with those available in Ghana’s upstream petroleum and mining sectors, which attract tax rates of about 35%.
The PHDC is open to various investment models, subject to negotiation, including public-private partnerships (PPPs), build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) arrangements and joint ventures (JVs), Aubynn said.
The models are intended to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes for Ghana and investors, he added.
The petroleum hub is divided into three lots — Lot One, Lot Two and Lot Three — and is expected to be completed within 10 years. Full development of the project is expected to inject about $60 billion into Ghana’s economy, Aubynn said.
He cited Ghana’s political stability, international standing, strategic location for the movement of goods and services and potential for port development as factors that make the country an attractive investment destination.
Aubynn also said the PHDC had received interest from several investors seeking to build a new port to serve the petroleum hub since the *disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
He urged other investors interested in the project to come on board.
Ghana: NPA Educates Consumers On Petroleum Safety During Fetu Afahye Festival In Cape Coast
Ghana’s downstream petroleum regulator, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), used the 2026 Fetu Afahye festival in Cape Coast to educate consumers on petroleum product safety, consumer rights and its complaint and enquiry channels.
NPA Chief Executive Godwin Kudzo Tameklo and officials of the Authority interacted with members of the public during the festival, sharing information on petroleum safety and consumer protection.
Tameklo said the NPA was pleased to participate in the festival, which brings together people and showcases the culture and traditions of Oguaaman.
He said stakeholder satisfaction was a key part of the NPA’s mandate and remained one of his priorities.
“Fetu Afahye is an important celebration for the people of Oguaaman and Ghana as a whole. The Orange Friday Float, in particular, brings together people from different backgrounds in a very vibrant atmosphere,” Tameklo said.
“These people are consumers of petroleum products in one form or another. For us at the NPA, being here is not only about joining the celebration, but also about connecting with the people we serve and using the opportunity to share important messages on petroleum safety and consumer protection,” he said.
The NPA said it would continue to protect petroleum consumers through public education, complaint management, consumer and market intelligence, and engagement with consumers across the country.
Zimbabwe: ZESA Appoints Cletus Nyachowe As Group CEO
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) (Private) Limited has appointed engineer Cletus Nyachowe as group chief executive officer, effective May 1, 2026, the company said.
The appointment follows the restructuring of the ZESA Group into a single, vertically integrated electricity utility operating as ZESA (Private) Limited, the company said in a statement on Sunday signed by Board Chairman Albert Joel Nduna.
Nyachowe is an electrical engineer and business executive with experience in the electricity and telecommunications sectors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Zimbabwe.
He is a registered professional engineer and a fellow of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers, the company said.
Nyachowe joined ZESA in 1988 and has held several senior technical and executive positions within the organisation.
He previously served as managing director of Powertel Communications, where he led the establishment and development of what the company described as Zimbabwe’s first data-focused telecommunications service provider.
He later served as executive director for group operations at ZESA Holdings, overseeing executive leadership and operational coordination across the group’s businesses. He also served as executive director for international business at ZESA Holdings.
Nyachowe has also been responsible for Zimbabwe’s national electricity transmission infrastructure and has undertaken consultancy work across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region on renewable energy and regional electricity market development, the company said.
He has served as a non-executive director on the boards of institutions in the banking, insurance and asset management sectors, as well as universities and regulatory bodies.
Before his appointment as group CEO, Nyachowe served as ZESA’s acting group chief executive officer during a period of institutional transition and restructuring.
The company said its board, management and staff had expressed confidence in Nyachowe’s leadership as he takes responsibility for the strategic and operational transformation of the newly integrated utility.