Risks and Impacts of Oil Exploration and Production on Local Communities in the Western Region of Ghana

The oil and gas Industry has become engine to jumpstart the economic growth process in a number of developing countries. Therefore, the importance of the oil and petroleum industry to Ghana's social and economic development cannot be over emphasized. The neglect and under-development of communities where oil exploitation takes place is the result of conflicts and tensions stemming from host communities towards government and multinational oil companies. This thesis utilizes case study on the impacts of oil exploitation as well as its benefits to the local communities in Ghana to determine whether oil and gas development is a strategy for sustainable development. Field research was conducted to find out from local people how they perceive the impact of oil exploitation on their lives. The study found that oil exploitation has a dramatic impact on the socioeconomic fortunes of local communities and also on the livelihoods of people in these communities.