ACCRA, GHANA — Uganda is strengthening its petroleum governance and regulatory systems by drawing lessons from Ghana’s experience as the country moves closer to its much-anticipated first oil production.
The Board of Directors of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) has held a peer-learning engagement with Ghana’s Petroleum Commission in Accra, focusing on upstream petroleum governance, regulation and operations.
The engagement brought together officials from the two petroleum institutions to exchange practical experiences on how best to manage the oil and gas sector, strengthen regulation and maximise the benefits of petroleum resources.
Speaking for the Ugandan delegation, Mr Innocent Kihika said the visit was intended to provide an opportunity for Uganda to learn from Ghana’s experience while also sharing lessons gained from the country’s own petroleum development journey.
“We have come to Ghana to learn, to share and to build a relationship that goes beyond this meeting,” Kihika said.
He noted that as Uganda approaches first oil, experiences from countries that have already moved through exploration, development and production are particularly valuable.
“As Uganda moves towards first oil, the lessons from countries that have already gone through the exploration, development and production phases are extremely valuable to us,” he added.
Kihika said the engagement was not intended to establish which institution was performing better, but rather to identify practical approaches that could strengthen regulatory effectiveness in both countries.
Learning from Ghana’s oil journey
During the engagement, Ghana’s Petroleum Commission took the PAU delegation through the country’s legal and regulatory framework, institutional arrangements and upstream petroleum operations.
The discussions also covered local content development, as well as health, safety and environmental management — areas considered critical to the sustainable development of petroleum resources.
The technical presentations were followed by an interactive session in which officials from both institutions questioned each other’s approaches and shared practical experiences from their respective petroleum sectors.
The exchange comes at a critical time for Uganda as the country continues preparations for first oil under its broader oil and gas development programme.
Uganda has invested heavily in building the institutions, infrastructure and regulatory framework required to manage petroleum production, with the PAU playing a central role in regulating upstream petroleum activities.
Ghana turns to Uganda for onshore lessons
While Uganda is preparing to transition from petroleum development into production, Ghana is increasingly looking towards onshore exploration, including activities in the Voltaian Basin.
This has created an opportunity for Ghana to draw lessons from Uganda’s experience in managing onshore petroleum resources.
Board Chairman of Ghana’s Petroleum Commission, Mr Ernest Thompson, said Ghana had been following Uganda’s experience in areas including onshore resource management, community engagement and environmental safeguards.
Thompson said the Ugandan experience offered useful lessons as Ghana expands its exploration interests beyond its established petroleum-producing areas.
The engagement therefore provided an opportunity for both countries to learn from each other, despite being at different stages of petroleum development.
Towards stronger regional cooperation
The two institutions agreed to deepen cooperation and sustain the exchange of knowledge and technical expertise.
The partnership is expected to provide a platform for continued peer learning in petroleum regulation, operational oversight, local content, environmental protection, community engagement and other areas of upstream petroleum management.
For Uganda, the engagement with Ghana comes as the country prepares for a major transition in its petroleum journey — from development and preparation to actual production.
With first oil drawing closer, strengthening regulatory capacity and learning from countries with established production experience remains a key part of Uganda’s efforts to ensure that its petroleum resources are developed responsibly and deliver lasting value to the country.
