Civil Society Demands Greater Equity in Oil Revenue Allocation
Civil society actors are renewing calls for transparency, equity and accountability in the management of Ghana’s natural resources.
The Resource Justice Network–Ghana (RJN–Ghana) has convened its national annual workshop in Accra to prioritise its 2026 advocacy agenda and validate a report assessing Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) in the application of the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA).
The meeting brought together members of the network to deliberate on policy gaps in natural resource governance and explore ways to enhance the share of oil revenues allocated to marginalised groups.
Key discussions centred on the governance of extractive resources, equitable distribution of benefits and the need for stronger community participation and accountability mechanisms in revenue management.
A major highlight of the workshop was the validation of the GESI–ABFA research report, which examined how Ghana’s oil revenues are allocated and whether current disbursement practices adequately reflect gender equality and social inclusion principles.
In his welcome address, Executive Director of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), Mr Sam Danse, said equity and social inclusion must serve as benchmarks for tracking ABFA allocations. He noted that persistent inequalities in the management of natural resource revenues underscore the need for reforms in policy implementation and oversight.
Mr Danse urged members to adopt the six policy recommendations contained in the report and incorporate them into their 2026 advocacy programmes to strengthen accountability at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly levels.
Coordinator of RJN–Ghana, Mr Benard Anaba, observed that despite Ghana’s natural resource wealth, poverty and inequality remain high due to weak governance systems and limited attention to gender and social inclusion in revenue utilisation.
He further called for enhanced collaboration among network members to advance resource justice and ensure fairer distribution of benefits.
Also contributing to discussions, Dr Eben Anuwa-Amarh, Technical Advisor at the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), revealed that President John Dramani Mahama has issued directives aimed at strengthening the management, allocation and timely release of the Common Fund to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to improve transparency and efficiency.
