Training workshop for journalists in oil and gas opens

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), in collaboration with Open Society Initiative for West Africa, a grant making and advocacy foundation, has organised a training workshop on petroleum contracts for Journalist Against Corruption Coalition.

The day’s workshop equipped journalists with the needed knowledge in the oil and gas sector to ensure that the country’s natural resources is managed in an efficient and effective manner.

Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Executive Director of ACEP said the media must have an eye to maximise the use of the resources as well help fight against corruption.

Dr Adam said journalists have been at the forefront of exposing corruption and reporting on the issue.

He said the training would present opportunities for journalists reporting on corruption to expand their work to cover the oil and gas sector.

Dr Adam noted that there are high governance risk especially with issues of secrecy, contracts signing and how oil blocks are issued to companies, and asked journalists to spend time to analyse issues in the oil and gas sector for effective reportage.

Mr Benjamin Boakye, Deputy Executive Director of ACEP called for independent institutional capacity to monitor the operations of contracts agreement in the oil and gas industry to ensure transparency and accountability.

He said contracts between government and companies in the oil and gas industry must be subjected to open contracting process.

The journalists were taken through topics such as introduction to petroleum contracts, petroleum contracting process.