Will Oil Mean Jobs?

Ghanaians assumed new employment opportunities would arise after oil was discovered off shore several years ago, but thousands are still waiting for jobs to materialize.

A local company recently held a graduation ceremony for 913 people trained in welding, pipefitting, electrical work and specialized construction. The graduates were participants in a new program intended to create a qualified labor pool for Ghana's new oil industry. But officials say only 1,000 jobs will be created by 2020 and some of those jobs may not be given to Ghanaians.

The Ghana Oil and Gas Service Providers Association estimates that the development of a robust downstream sector can create up to 100,000 jobs. But this won't happen without aggressive policy and action from the government.