Energy Minister Inaugurates New GNPC Explorco Board to Drive Petroleum Growth
Accra, Ghana | August 2025 — Ghana’s Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has inaugurated a new board of directors for GNPC Exploration and Production Limited (Explorco), charging them with strengthening exploration and boosting the country’s oil reserves. The initiative reflects government’s broader strategy to consolidate petroleum revenues, safeguard energy security, and sustain the sector’s role in national development.
The newly appointed board includes;
1. Dr. Aaron Issa Anafure
2. Samuel Opoku Arthur (Ag. Managing Director)
3. Stella Bondzie
4. Mr. Kwame Ntow Amoah
5. Hon. Benjamin Narteh Ayiku
The team is tasked with driving Explorco’s upstream agenda by scaling exploration activities, strengthening governance, and positioning GNPC as a competitive national oil company. According to the Minister, an increase in oil reserves will directly enhance fiscal stability, support long-term industrialisation, and reinforce Ghana’s standing as a reliable energy player.
This direction aligns with government’s ongoing reforms at GNPC, which have emphasised governance renewal and regional gas leadership. Strengthening Explorco’s role is seen as critical in harnessing new discoveries, maximising production, and ensuring that petroleum resources continue to underpin Ghana’s growth.
The inauguration also comes at a pivotal moment in Ghana’s upstream sector. Earlier this year, the Government of Ghana, GNPC, Explorco, and partners Tullow, Kosmos Energy, and PetroSA signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding to extend key production licences to 2040, securing a longer investment horizon and guaranteeing resource development for the next two decades. This move underscores a policy shift towards long-term certainty for investors, while safeguarding the state’s strategic interests.
With a new board inaugurated, GNPC Explorco is expected to become more proactive in exploration campaigns, farm-in partnerships, and frontier basin development. Success in this direction would not only grow reserves but also diversify Ghana’s upstream portfolio beyond current producing fields.
By combining institutional renewal, extended partnerships, and strengthened exploration, the government is positioning GNPC to play a more assertive role in Africa’s petroleum future — ensuring that oil and gas continue to deliver value for Ghana even as the global energy landscape transitions.
