On behalf of members of the Ghana Upstream Petroleum Chamber, I would like to welcome you all to Ghana Day on the final day of what has been a truly memorable Africa Oil Week. Since Monday we’ve had a chance to interact with colleagues from the industry and policymakers from all over Africa and beyond. Many of us share the same challenges and so it always of great benefit to come together and share ideas. We thank the President for joining us and for his personal commitment to reviving the upstream petroleum industry in Ghana. We also thank Minister Jinapor, for his leadership. He has been at the helm for nine or so months and we in the industry already feel a sense of optimism about the fortunes of Ghana as an oil and gas investment destination. No wonder our theme for today’s event is REINVIGORATING THE GHANAIAN SECTOR – THE OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH.

And so I welcome you all to this forum. Today you will have the opportunity to engage our industry experts and gain some insight into the untapped potential of our four strategic petroleum basins. We want to set the stage for Ghana to emerge as one of Africa’s most competitive oil and gas jurisdictions and you have the opportunity to join us create an exciting future for both investor and country.

With clear strategic planning and acting with a sense of urgency, we can make Ghana a better place for its people, utilizing our blessings of oil and gas. It is easy to forget that not every country can boast of having this resource. We must make the most of it.

Welcome to Ghana Day.