[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” separator_top_type=”none” separator_top_height=”50px” separator_top_angle_point=”50″ separator_bottom_type=”none” separator_bottom_height=”50px” separator_bottom_angle_point=”50″ style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]“I will share Ghana’s oil and gas experience with Senegal” – President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indicated Ghana’s preparedness to share its experiences in the management of its oil and gas resources, as well as the measures taken to ensure the prudent and effective use of the proceeds from their sale with Senegal.

He said: “With the recent discovery of oil and gas in Senegal in commercial quantities, and with our experiences, I believe Ghana is well-equipped to share with you the dos and don’ts in the effective management of oil and gas revenues.”

President Akufo-Addo’s made the statement in response to the request put forward by the President of Senegal, Macky Sall, at a meeting held at the Presidential Palace in Dakar, to discuss possible areas of co-operation between the two countries.

President Akufo-Addo who is on the second phase of his ECOWAS tour to Senegal, Guinea and Cape Verde, has already toured the three countries bordering Ghana; Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire- in a wider move to introduce himself to and deepen relations with countries in the ECOWAS region.

The tour would further the President’s quest to strengthen bilateral ties and to restate Ghana’s commitment to the ECOWAS project. He would in the month of May, pay official working visits to Nigeria, Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

President Akufo-Addo explained that the production of oil and gas, and the revenues from the sale, presented the two countries with the perfect opportunity to transform the structure of their respective economies, from raw material producing and exporting ones to industrialised, value-added economies.

To this end, the two countries have resolved to create the necessary legal framework for the conduct of bilateral co-operation with Senegal soon to send a team to study Ghana’s nascent oil and gas industry and adopt best practices in the management of Senegal’s oil and gas resources.

Ghana, President Akufo-Addo told his Senegalese counterpart, was also seeking to deepen bilateral co-operation with Senegal in the areas of agriculture, particularly in the horticultural and fisheries sector, tourism, defence, trade, investment, and energy, amongst others.

“In the area of education, I believe that strengthening of co-operation between our two countries, especially in the learning of English and French languages by our youth, would be of immense benefit to us, as we seek to make the process of integration of West Africa real. To this end, my government intends to make the learning of the French language compulsory from basic to Senior High School level.

“Co-operation with Senegal in the training of French teachers would be helpful in ensuring the success of this policy. By the same token, I am keen to revive the yearly linguistic programme between the two countries which will enable Ghanaian students undertake proficiency courses in French at the famous Université Cheikh Anta Diop, in Dakar,” he said.

Reiterating his commitment to the ECOWAS project, President Akufo-Addo stressed the commitment of his government towards strengthening the ECOWAS Community.

Credit: Ghana News Agency

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