The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has commissioned the Obuasi Enterprise and Skills Development Centre.

The Center, which was jointly established by Anglogold Ashanti Ghana, and the AGA Community Trust Fund, is expected to be a one-stop hub to provide solutions to local businesses and to support skills development and capacity building.

Speaking at a ceremony to commission the centre, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah commended Anglogold Ashanti for investing in skill development in Obuasi. He said Anglogold Ashanti has demonstrated enough commitment to provide alternatives to diversify the economy of Obuasi and provide alternatives to the Mine.

He said, “not long ago, I was here to commission the Training and Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with Disability constructed by Anglogold Ashanti. These and many other interventions by Anglogold Ashanti which are contained in their Social Management Plan need to be applauded”. He talked about the importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

He emphasized that in order to reduce unemployment and improve the standards of education in the country, it was imperative to incorporate the needs of private sector players in the decision-making processes. He called for the support of all stakeholders to make TVET attractive to the youth.

The Managing Director of Anglogold Ashanti, Eric Asubonteng in his speech said the Obuasi Enterprise and Skills Development Centre has the potential to boost the local Obuasi economy by developing market-ready programmes that will improve the livelihoods of the youth and make them self-reliant.

“We are convinced that this centre will, to a large extent, improve both human and economic capital, and assist in the development and fast flow of business activities in Obuasi and our other host communities”.

Collaboration with invest Africa

Eric Asubonteng mentioned that through AGA’s collaboration with Invest in Africa (IIA); a not-for-profit organisation with the vision to create thriving African economies, 100 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Obuasi have been placed on the African Partner Pool platform.

This he said, is intended to promote their products and services and the standards they can deliver to make it easier for big companies to find them. He again revealed that through this collaboration, about 102 jobs have been created.

Obuasi Enterprise and Skills Development Centre

The centre forms part of the Enterprise Development Programme under the 3-year Social Management Plan of Anglogold Ashanti Ghana.

It is disability friendly and made up of a multi-purpose conference/ training centre, a business centre, 8 mini- meeting areas, a fully-equipped leather workshop, a fully-equipped industrial centre, a bead-making centre, and a hand sanitiser production centre.

The refurbished facility, which hitherto, served as a recreational centre, has so far supported over 600 businesses in Obuasi. Awards were presented to persons who have gone through training at the centre.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Cos-Petrogaz and the Business Council of Renewable Energy of Senegal (Coperes) are organizing, in partnership with Energy, Capital and Power (EPC), MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2021, taking place on December 13 to 14, 2021 at the Centre International de Conference Abdou DIOUF (CICAD) in Diamniadio.

Under the theme #ANewWaveOfInvestment, MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2021 will showcase some of the major projects coming onstream over the course of 2023-2024 including SNE, Sangomar, GTA, and flagship projects in the renewable energy industry like the Taiba N´Diaye wind farm.

“This landmark conference will help stimulate investment in our country in this sector, with the forthcoming prospects for oil and gas exploitation, and also in the renewable energy sector in which our country has made significant progress with nearly 30% clean energy in the electricity grid. The imminent arrival of local gas will make Senegal energy independent and constitute a significant element of our energy transition, considering climate change, to produce clean and accessible energy at a lower cost, thanks to innovative programs in this area,” H.E. Aissatou Sophie Gladima, Minister of Petroleum and Energy states.

MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power International Conference Director, Sandra Jeque notes that: “ECP is excited and grateful to have the strong support from our local partners in Senegal and throughout the MSBC region. It is one of the most promising regions for oil exploration and production in West Africa. The conference will feature a number of crucial themes such as the role of natural gas in Senegal, gas-to-power projects, energy transition, local content development and capacity building, and creating new career opportunities for women in energy.”

Emphasizing the international dimension of the MSGBC 2021 conference, she added that “we look forward to welcoming a large number of IOC’s, regional NOC’s and the Ministries of Petroleum and Energy from throughout the sub-region, as well as world-class speakers, both local and international. ECP sees the MSGBC Basin as strategic region that will shape sub-Saharan Africa’s oil and gas sector for years to come, and as such, ECP is strongly committed to the MSGBC region, not just for this high-level event in 2021, but for the long term as a strategic partner for all of the key stakeholders in the region.”

MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2021 will see the strong participation of official delegations from many sub-Saharan African countries, in particular those from the MSGBC sedimentary basin (Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry), as well as other oil- producing countries from West Africa and North Africa, alongside investment partners from Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia.

To find out more information regarding speaker or sponsorship opportunities at the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2021, please visit www.msgbc2021.com or contact sales@energycapitalpower.com, manuelle@energycapitalpower.com serigne@energycapitalpower.com