Ghana would benefit from the creation of an independent body to regulate the administration of the oil and gas business development and local content fund, which will provide money for local training projects in the country.

Writing for Modern Ghana, Stephen Yeboah, of the department of planning at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), declared that while Ghanaians expect the ministry of energy to manage the fund competently, workers may benefit from an independent fund regulator.

"Nigeria as well has accepted the need for an independent body to register and pre-qualify the companies to avoid some of the pitfalls often associated with local content policies," he added.

Mr Yeboah said that oil training programmes will play an integral part in helping Ghana to avoid the "resources curse" and allow revenues from oil exploration to filter through to local communities.

Tullow, the largest stakeholder in Ghana's offshore fields, expects to achieve first oil in the fourth quarter of this year.

Getenergy for Ghana & West Africa, September 2010 - Accra