The Petroleum Commission of The Gambia and the Petroleum Commission of Ghana on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation, institutional capacity building and technical knowledge sharing as The Gambia prepares for the next phase of petroleum exploration and development.
The agreement, signed on 10 July 2026, seeks to develop collaboration between the two petroleum regulators by promoting the exchange of expertise, technical skills and regulatory best practices. Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Director General of the Petroleum Commission of The Gambia, Cany Jobe Taal, described the agreement as an important milestone in the relationship between the two institutions.
"Today's ceremony marks an important moment for our two institutions. It is not simply the signing of a document. It is the formalization of a relationship that we hope will become practical, active and beneficial to both Commissions," she said.
Taal said the partnership is particularly significant for The Gambia because the country remains in the exploration stage of petroleum development but has ambitious plans for the sector.
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"For The Gambia, this partnership is particularly meaningful because even though we are still in the exploration stage as a frontier petroleum jurisdiction, we are also a country with serious ambition, significant geological promise and a clear understanding that petroleum resources, by themselves, do not guarantee national benefit," she said.
She stressed that discovering petroleum alone is not enough to deliver economic transformation.
"A country may discover petroleum, but without capable institutions, clear rules, technical discipline, public trust and responsible oversight, the opportunity can easily be weakened. For us, therefore, the work of building the Petroleum Commission is not secondary to the work of attracting exploration. It is central to it," she said.
According to Taal, Ghana's experience offers valuable lessons as The Gambia continues to prepare for possible commercial petroleum production.
She noted that Ghana has successfully progressed through several stages of petroleum development that The Gambia has yet to reach.
"Ghana has moved through stages that The Gambia is still preparing for: exploration, discovery, development, production, regulation, local content growth and the management of revenues for sustainable benefit. These experiences carry lessons that are directly relevant to our own journey," she said.
Taal said the partnership would focus on practical learning rather than theory.
"We do not approach the cooperation as an academic exercise but a learning exercise with practical implications. We intend to learn from Ghana's successes, understand the challenges, and adapt the lessons that are most useful to The Gambia's own context," she said.
She expressed hope that the Memorandum of Understanding would become an active working instrument that delivers tangible results for both institutions.
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission of Ghana, Emeafa Hardcastle, said the two countries have enjoyed a longstanding relationship and that the agreement provides a strong foundation for deeper cooperation.
She said the MoU reflects a shared commitment by both countries to responsibly develop their natural resources, strengthen their economies and improve the welfare of their citizens.
"The two countries have a long-standing relationship and the MoU forms a solid basis for development to pursue our shared commitment to exploit natural resources, build resilient economies, focus on shared prosperity and improve benefits for both countries," she said.
Hardcastle also highlighted the growing importance of energy security across Africa.
"Today we are signing a technical cooperation agreement for the sector," she said, while commending The Gambia's Petroleum Commission for its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
"It is our hope that this partnership will be strengthened further to drive economic growth in our countries," she added.
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, Abdoulie Jallow, described the agreement as more than a formal document, saying it demonstrates the value of African countries working together to accelerate development.
"The MoU therefore represents much more than the signing of a document--it symbolizes our shared commitment to cooperation, institutional excellence and the belief that African countries can accelerate their development by learning from one another and working together," he said.
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Jallow assured both petroleum commissions of the Ministry's continued support for the implementation of the agreement.
"We will continue to provide the necessary policy guidance and institutional support to ensure that the objectives of this partnership are realized," he said.
He encouraged both institutions to translate the commitments contained in the agreement into practical initiatives.
"We encourage both institutions to translate the commitments contained in this MoU into concrete programmes, measurable outcomes and lasting impacts," he said.
The agreement is expected to facilitate cooperation in regulatory development, technical training, institutional strengthening and knowledge exchange as The Gambia continues efforts to build a robust petroleum regulatory framework while attracting investment into its offshore petroleum sector.
Although The Gambia has not yet entered commercial petroleum production, government officials have repeatedly stated that strengthening institutions and regulatory systems remains essential to ensuring that any future petroleum discoveries deliver sustainable economic and social benefits for the country.
