Dr Robert Adjaye, rector of the Accra-based Petroleum Skills Development Institute (PSDI), has called for a greater investment in local oil and gas training initiatives to ensure jobs in Ghana's energy industry are easily accessible to domestic workers.

Speaking to Ghana News Agency, Mr Adjaye explained that such investment will be crucial if the country is to achieve its target of 90 per cent local participation in the oil and gas industry by 2020.

However, he also explained that Ghana will need to strengthen its local business infrastructure in order to ensure that the benefits of oil and gas exploration filter through to local workers, as Ghanaian companies will need to be able to trade and compete with large multinationals.

Ghana is set to achieve first oil in November or December this year, with major stakeholder Tullow confirming last month that the programme to bring the first well in the Jubilee field on stream is progressing well.