The engagement aimed to promote dialogue on the project’s role in enhancing energy security, creating employment and advancing Ghana’s industrialisation agenda. 

Dr Toni Aubynn, Chief Executive Officer of PHDC, speaking at a strategic meeting in Accra, said the scale of the Petroleum Hub project required broad stakeholder involvement. 

He said the Corporation had already engaged traditional authorities, youth groups, local communities, and Parliament. 

“We cannot undertake a project like this alone. It must be inclusive,” he said. 

The meeting, which brought together representatives of more than 25 civil society organisations, provided a platform for discussions between PHDC management and civil society actors on the progress and strategic importance of the project. 

Dr Aubynn said the engagement was intended to brief civil society organisations on developments on the project, clarify outstanding issues and receive feedback. 

“We want to establish a bond with them because they are neutral stakeholders whose perspectives can help strengthen the project,” he added. 

Dr Aubynn said although many of the issues raised were supportive of the project, concerns were expressed about land acquisition and compensation for affected landowners. 

He said compensation was a legal requirement under Ghana’s land acquisition laws and would be addressed by Government. 

Dr Aubynn said different compensation models could be explored, including equity participation for landowners or partial upfront payments with the remaining balance paid as the project progressed. 

He said the Petroleum Hub would stimulate development within the enclave through improved infrastructure such as schools, healthcare facilities and roads. 

He added that employment opportunities created by the project would improve livelihoods in the area and encourage additional businesses, including coconut processing and other agribusiness ventures. 

Dr Aubynn said the Corporation’s immediate priority was to secure land for the project, noting that investor participation would increase once the issue was resolved. 

He said Government had reduced the land requirement for the project from 20,000 acres to 13,000 acres following directives from President John Dramani Mahama. 

Dr Aubynn said the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Mr. John Jinapor, and the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, were supporting efforts to expedite the land acquisition process. 

He said the reduction in land size required a recompilation of compensation figures, currently estimated at about GH¢900 million, equivalent to approximately 100 million dollars. 

Dr Aubynn expressed optimism that the land acquisition process would be largely resolved by June this year to enable preparatory work on the project to begin before the end of 2026. 

“Our biggest challenge is land acquisition but once we cross that hurdle, we can begin to attract the investors who are already showing interest,” he said, adding that the project was expected to span about 10 years. 

Dr Benjamin Nsiah, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Management, said land acquisition remained the most critical requirement for the project. 

“Without land, you cannot start investment,” he said. 

Dr Nsiah urged the Government to prioritise funding to compensate landowners and secure the required land. 

He suggested that at least GH¢600 million should be provided in future budgets to facilitate land acquisition and support investor engagement. 

The proposed Petroleum Hub project, to be in the Western Region, is expected to develop into a major petroleum and petrochemical industrial enclave to boost Ghana’s energy capacity and support economic growth.