West African countries must make concerted efforts to accelerate the pace of development, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Minister of Petroleum has said.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the maiden ECOWAS Mining and Petroleum Forum and Exhibition (ECOMOF), Mr Buah said there is the need for the development of a sub-regional agenda for maximising value from the exploitation of minerals, oil and gas resources.
The two-day conference, which was opened on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, by Nii Osa Mills, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources; is being organised by the ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with Government, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and AME Trade Ltd.
ECOMOF 2015 is on the theme: “Valourising West Africa’s Mineral and Petroleum Resource through Regional Cooperation,”.
It aims at uniting West Africa’s public and private sector decision makers from both the mining and petroleum industries.
Mr Buah said that West African countries must consciously create value within the value-chain of both their mineral and petroleum industries, from exploration through development and production to refining, and development of petrochemical industries for petroleum resources.
