Executive Secretary of The Gas Consortium, Senam Kodzo Gbeho, has called on the private sector to take a leading role in harnessing West Africa’s natural gas resources for long-term industrial and economic transformation.
He made this call during the opening of the first-ever West Africa Gas Summit (WAGS) held in Accra on June 11, 2025.
Gbeho argued that natural gas must be seen not just as a fuel but as a strategic asset for energy security, regional economic integration, and sustainable industrial development.
He highlighted West Africa’s persistent energy poverty and the underutilisation of vast onshore and offshore gas reserves, warning that continued inaction would stall regional progress.
Gbeho urged the private sector to fill the growing leadership gap in the energy sector by investing in infrastructure, innovation, and technologies that will unlock gas’s full value.
The summit aims to encourage flexible investment frameworks, inclusive policy dialogues, and cross-border partnerships that can support a sustainable gas economy.
He commended WAGPA and its Director-General, Chafari Kanya Hannawa, for their strategic role, reinforcing the importance of regional cooperation in gas development.
Ghana’s Energy and Green Transition Minister, John Abdulai Jinapor, is also scheduled to address the summit, outlining Ghana’s role in promoting clean, gas-powered growth.
According to Gbeho, the time is ripe to shift focus from exporting gas for short-term revenue to using it as a tool for lasting economic transformation across West Africa.
The summit is positioned to be a catalyst for moving the region from being merely resource-rich to becoming a hub for inclusive, sustainable, gas-powered industrialization.