The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), has hosted its maiden Vendor Engagement Seminar, reaffirming it's commitment to strengthening local content and participation in Ghana’s oil and gas industry.

The event which forms part of GNPC's 40th anniversary celebrations, brought together Ghanaian businesses, vendors, and suppliers under the theme "Promoting Local Content and Local Participation through Vendor Engagement".

The summit sought to strengthen supplier relationships, promote transparency, and foster deeper collaboration with stakeholders, while reaffirming GNPC’s commitment to efficient procurement, local content development, and sustainable supply chain partnerships.

Opening the session, Chief Executive Officer of GNPC, Kwame Ntow Amoah, emphasized the Corporation’s commitment to inclusive growth: “The theme of this engagement goes to the heart of GNPC’s mandate. For us, Local Content is not merely a regulatory requirement. It is central to our strategy to grow together with local enterprises in a mutually beneficial partnership, ensuring our nation’s resources create real opportunities for our people, businesses, and communities.”

During a technical presentation on tender best practices, Barbara Afriyie-Owusu of the Supply Chain and Local Content Development Department highlighted the pivotal role of compliance in contract processes, describing it as indispensable.

“Compliance is like oxygen—you don’t always notice it, but you cannot survive long without it. Keep your documents ready, make your submissions responsive, and credibility will follow. Trust me, the contract will come,” Afriyie-Owusu noted.

She cautioned against recurring pitfalls such as incomplete forms, missing pages, expired statutory certificates, late submissions, and incorrect file formats. With GNPC’s tender process now fully digital, she added that excuses like traffic delays or narrowly missed deadlines no longer hold, as the system automatically locks at closing time.

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Afriyie-Owusu also added that “It is a competition, and everyone wants to win. Paying attention to deadlines, technical specifications, and compliance requirements ensures fairness in the process. GNPC’s doors are open to all, but only those who meet the requirements will succeed.”

The summit also featured presentations from the Petroleum Commission, which outlined Ghana’s local content framework, and the Public Procurement Authority, which introduced the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) to better equip vendors for efficient tender participation.

The Corporation encouraged businesses to see procurement not as a hurdle but as a pathway to building trust, expanding opportunities, and strengthening Ghanaian participation in the oil and gas sector.

SP/JE

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