President John Dramani Mahama has praised the Board, Management and staff of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) after the facility resumed operations without financial support from Government.
Mr Mahama said the refinery’s revival demonstrated that Ghana could restore important national institutions through disciplined leadership, effective governance and the use of local expertise.
He made the remarks while commissioning TOR’s refurbished processing facilities, an event described as a significant step in Ghana’s plans to revitalise its industrial base and strengthen energy security.
The commissioning also coincided with the arrival of the first one-million-barrel shipment of indigenous Jubilee Medium Sweet crude intended for refining in Ghana.
The delivery underlined Government’s commitment to processing the country’s natural resources locally and adding value before they are used or traded.
The refinery’s return to operation comes as President Mahama’s Government pursues its RESET Agenda, under which TOR is expected to play a larger role in the country’s petroleum industry.
The President announced plans to increase the refinery’s capacity to 100,000 barrels per day. He also said the facility would be supported to become more operationally independent and develop into a strategic centre for petroleum refining, storage and logistics in West Africa.
Mr Mahama said the progress achieved at TOR offered evidence that Ghana could rebuild institutions considered essential to the country’s economic and industrial future.
“The revival of Tema Oil Refinery demonstrates that Ghana can rebuild its strategic institutions, add value to its resources, and chart a path towards sustainable prosperity,” President Mahama stated.
The arrival of the Jubilee Medium Sweet crude marks the beginning of a renewed focus on domestic processing, linking Ghana’s oil production more directly with its own refining capacity.
Government’s plans for TOR place the refinery at the centre of a wider effort to improve the use of Ghanaian resources and reinforce the country’s position within the regional petroleum sector.
The President’s commendation was directed at the refinery’s Board, Management and staff, whose work enabled operations to be restored without financial assistance from Government.
He presented that achievement as evidence of what could be delivered through sound management and institutional resilience, while the refurbished facilities provided the setting for the next stage of TOR’s development.
The proposed expansion to 100,000 barrels per day would significantly broaden the refinery’s role, with the long-term ambition of making it a hub for refining, storage and logistics across West Africa.
For the Mahama administration, the project forms part of a broader attempt to strengthen energy security, increase the benefits Ghana receives from its own natural resources and support sustainable prosperity through local industrial activity.
