The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is exploring a partnership with the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to strengthen technical expertise, research and innovation in Ghana’s downstream petroleum industry.
Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Mr Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, Esq., said closer collaboration with academia would help drive innovation and improve industry practices.
He made the remarks on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, when a delegation from UMaT, led by the Dean of the School of Petroleum Studies, Professor Richard Amorin, paid a courtesy call on him to discuss areas of potential collaboration.
Mr Tameklo stressed that academic institutions had an important role to play in the development of the downstream petroleum sector, particularly through research and the development of innovative solutions to industry challenges.
“We would want to continue the engagement with academia because we strongly believe that it will propel the downstream industry, because what academia does is to come up with innovative ways of doing things,” he said.
He disclosed that the Authority would explore opportunities to offer internship placements to UMaT students in some of its technical departments to provide practical industry experience.
“The Authority will also be looking at the possibility of offering some students of the University internship opportunities in some of the technical departments of the NPA, because sometimes it is good for the students to have first-hand opportunity to experience things for themselves,” he added.
The proposed internships are expected to expose students to the practical aspects of petroleum regulation and operations, helping bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry requirements.
In response, Professor Amorin expressed appreciation to the NPA leadership for its willingness to engage with the university and explore opportunities for collaboration.
“We want to say thank you for having us and for having the openness to collaborate with us. We will relay this information to the Vice-Chancellor, and hopefully we can firm up some of the discussions we have had going forward,” he said.
Other areas discussed included specialised training and secondment opportunities for UMaT teaching staff, the university’s participation in training under the proposed NPA Centre of Excellence, and the possible retooling of a laboratory at UMaT as part of the initiative.
The proposed collaboration could strengthen the link between academic research and industry practice while enhancing the technical capacity of students and professionals in the petroleum sector.
Both institutions expressed optimism that the discussions would lead to a formal partnership to promote knowledge-sharing, skills development and innovation.
The NPA regulates, oversees and monitors Ghana’s downstream petroleum industry, while UMaT provides specialised education and research in mining, petroleum and related technical fields.
Source: businesspostonline
