Social impact assessment of oil and gas exploration in the western region of Ghana: a case study of Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis

Abstract

This study discusses social impacts of offehore oil and gas development on human
communities in the Sekondi!Takoradi Metropolis in the Western Region of Ghana.
Current study attempts to do a social impact assessment of the oil find on the people of
Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis. In all 95 respondents with varied educational background
were sampled for the study using a multiple sampling approach. Questionnaires and
interviews were the main research instruments applied to the study. The study revealed
that the people had high expectations prior to the commercial production but these
expectations were not being met folly. The study showed people's awareness that
aside the benefits of oil find such as growing employment, business and/or investment
opportunities, there are also some social costs that associate with it. These include the
increasing cost of living, human and vehicular congestion and other social vices. The
study recommends some measures such as education and training, good governance
together with strong media watch-dogs to be put in place to mitigate the social costs. It
was concluded that though the oil find has brought some social benefits to the indigenes
of Sekondi!Takoradi Metropolis, the social costs far outweigh these benefits due to the
frequency and rate of their occurrences.

Key Words: Social Impact Assessment, Social Costs, Social Benefits.