The Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mr. Godwin Kudzo Tameklo (Esq), on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, inaugurated a 15-member multi-stakeholder steering committee to spearhead the development of a Centre of Excellence for the downstream petroleum sector.
The proposed NPA Centre of Excellence is envisioned as a strategic institutional platform that will support competency-based training and applied research within Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.
The committee is expected to provide strategic guidance and oversight for the development of a comprehensive framework for the establishment and operationalisation of the Centre.
The committee will be chaired by the Acting Deputy Chief Executive of the NPA, Dr. Dramani Bukari, and comprises representatives from key departments within the Authority and industry stakeholders. Members include Setsoafia K. Agbenoto (Director, Quality Assurance, NPA), Prince Amoako (Acting Director, Finance, NPA), Abass Tasunti (Director, Economic Regulation & Planning, NPA), Rasheed Dauda (Head, Policy Coordination, NPA), Godwin Yaw Konu (Acting Director, Business Development, NPA), Linda Asante (Director, Inspections, Monitoring & HSE, NPA), Dr. Joseph Wilson (Director, Research, Monitoring & Evaluation, NPA), and Bridgette Obiri-Yeboah (Acting Director, Licensing, NPA).
Other members include Dr. Riverson Oppong, CEO of the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC); Dr. Patrick Ofori, CEO of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD); George Nyaunu of the National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union; and Dr. Peter Boahin of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET). Dzidzor Klake, Head of the Petroleum Product Marking Scheme at NPA, will serve as Secretary, alongside Mudasiru Mahama, Technical Aide to the Acting Deputy Chief Executive.
The mandate of the committee includes developing a comprehensive proposal for the establishment of the Centre of Excellence, defining its governance and institutional framework, and assessing potential locations for the facility, among other responsibilities.
In his address, Mr. Tameklo expressed confidence in the capacity of the committee to deliver on its mandate and highlighted the importance of the initiative to the downstream petroleum sector.
“There was a need to have a steering committee to help the Authority develop the best approach to establishing the Centre of Excellence. In terms of diversity and skillset, there is no better team than what has been inaugurated today,” he said.
“The NPA Centre of Excellence will help bring reforms and transformation to the downstream petroleum sector, and it is an initiative that is here to stay,” he added.
The inauguration of the steering committee marks a significant step in the National Petroleum Authority’s efforts to strengthen capacity development and institutional excellence within the downstream petroleum sector. It underscores the Authority’s commitment to building a skilled workforce, promoting innovation, and positioning Ghana as a hub for petroleum industry expertise in the sub-region.
