Ghana refused to give up on TOR despite years of decline - President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has recalled Tema Oil Refinery’s (TOR) journey from processing Ghana’s first Jubilee crude oil to years of decline, saying his government chose to preserve domestic refining capacity despite the challenges facing the facility.

Speaking at an event to receive the first barrel of oil from the Jubilee Field at TOR on August 1, 2026, President Mahama reflected on the refinery’s history, recalling that nearly 10 years ago, towards the end of his first administration, he witnessed the arrival of Ghana’s first cargo of indigenous Jubilee crude for refining at the facility.

He described the moment as a proud milestone for the country, noting that it demonstrated Ghana’s ability to link its petroleum resources to domestic industrial production.

However, he said the years that followed were characterised by significant setbacks that affected the refinery’s operations.

According to him, the first consignment of Jubilee crude delivered amid national optimism was later discounted and sold under what he described as opaque circumstances.

He said production at the refinery slowed, operations eventually halted, debts accumulated, and confidence among workers and staff gradually declined.

President Mahama noted that the prolonged deterioration led many to conclude that TOR had become an “antique relic of the past” whose most productive years were behind it.

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He added that some argued Ghana should abandon crude oil refining altogether and rely permanently on imported petroleum products.

The President said his government rejected that view, insisting that countries seeking sustainable development do not discard strategic national institutions whenever they face difficulties.

“Because nations that aspire to greatness do not abandon strategic institutions like TOR whenever adversity strikes. What they do is reform them, modernise them, restore them, and prepare them to compete again,” he said.

He explained that this conviction informed his commitment to restoring the refinery, describing TOR as a critical national asset that remains central to Ghana’s industrialisation agenda.

President Mahama said the refinery’s revival demonstrates that, with determined leadership, sound management, and a clear national vision, strategic state-owned enterprises can be restored to support the country’s long-term economic development.

DR/MA