July 31, 2025 – The government has outlined a clear roadmap for the establishment of the Petroleum Hub Development Project (PHDP), starting with an initial 5,000 acres of land in the Domunli enclave of the Jomoro Municipality.
According to the government, additional tracts of land may be acquired as the project progresses, but not in a manner that would unduly deprive landowners of their ancestral lands.
His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, announced this during a meeting with traditional rulers and landowners at the Western Regional House of Chiefs in Sekondi.
“The government can comfortably start the project with 5,000 acres of land, and any additional land can be acquired later as the project progresses,” the President said.
The US$60 billion project, which will be the largest in West Africa, is projected to create approximately 780,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The decision to commence the project with 5,000 acres, as announced by President Mahama, puts to rest the long-standing controversy over the initial plan to acquire 20,000 acres for the project.
President Mahama emphasized that it is the government’s intention to fast-track work on the PHDP in order to attract investors to the Western Region and create jobs for the teeming youth in the area.
To this end, the President has directed the Minister in charge of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation to renegotiate the land acquisition with landowners.
“Our aim is to relinquish the excess land acquired for the project and pay adequate compensation to the landowners for the land that we will use,” he said.
“We believe that 5,000 acres are sufficient to start the project. Additional land can be acquired as and when needed, instead of tying down 20,000 acres of our people’s land,” he clarified.
The President’s directive follows broad consultations and petitions from advocacy groups such as the Ghana Environmental Advocacy Group (GEAG), the Petroleum Hub Development Committee (PHDC), the Coalition of Concerned Nzema People (CCNP), the Nzema Koyele Eku and Tumivole Kaku Aka III, all of whom have championed the use of 5,000 acres to initiate the project.
President Mahama also stated that the government will strengthen the Local Content and Local Participation Act to ensure that young people in the Western Region are given preferential access to employment, procurement contracts, and technical training within the petroleum sub-sector.
“The discovery of oil and gas in the Western Region must be a blessing, not a burden,” the President stressed. He added that communities around the oil and gas enclave, including Atuabo, Anokyi, and Half-Assini, must see concrete benefits from the exploitation of these natural resources.
Consequently, the government will invest in education, healthcare, road and bridge construction, and agri-business infrastructure in oil and gas-producing communities.
The President concluded by reaffirming the government’s strong commitment to accelerating the pace of developmentin the Western Region.
By Kodwo Nyamekeh
