Oil in Takoradi

After a long bus ride to the Western Region, I arrived in the capital city of Takoradi later in the evening on Thursday. It was really nice to visit Takoradi again for a few reasons, namely that I have not been back since I spent my first 5 weeks in Ghana in October, 2010 but also, to see the improvements in the city since the oil find.

Since the latter part of 2010, Ghana joined the ranks of one Africa's oil producing countries: Friend or Foe? There is anticipation and expectation that the country will benefit immensely but will tensions rise when competition for oil money raises between foreign oil corporations, local government and the local economy? The government is forecasting economic growth to more than double, from 5% last year to 12% this year. It is hopeful that the oil will benefit without tension as Ghana is one of Africa's best governed states.

By spending only a few days in Takoradi, I was able to see improvements made to buildings, roads and new infrastructure in general. However, since the influx of the oil economy, the cost of living in Takoradi has also increased and residents are seeing an influx of tourism, traffic and an increase on rent and food prices. People are expecting to see benefits to their pocket from the oil but this may not be the case, leaving people to uncertainty as to who will gain and who will loose.

The NGO I am currently working for, YES-Ghana (Youth Empowerment Synergy) just finished a project in the Western Region entitled "Youth for Good Oil Governance" where 60 young leaders (Youth Advocates) were chosen from across the Region to receive capacity building and other assistance in order to lead the implementation of project objectives in their communities. The overall goal of the project was to increase youth led strategies for strengthening Ghana's good governance and sustainable development pursuit, focusing on the oil economy.

Throughout project implementation, the Youth Advocates brought together other youth, local authorities and key stakeholders in the industry to raise awareness on the direct and indirect benefits of the oil, debunk job entitlements in the oil sector and the myth that you can only benefit from the oil money by working on the rigs. The Youth Advocates will continue to play a key role in advocating for good oil governance in their communities by keeping dialogues open and making sure that people know they can have a say in the development of their country's economy.

Me with some of the Youth Advocates during a workshop in Takoradi

Read more from the Youth Advocates themselves on their blog, "Youth for Good Oil Governance" or follow them their page on Facebook - Youth for Good Oil Governance in Ghana