ACET’s Extractive Resources Services (ERS) program supports African governments in the effective management of extractive resources. The overarching aim of the ERS is to assist African governments overcome the policy and institutional barriers to the effective management and regulation of oil, gas and mineral resources.
The natural resources industry has enormous potential to transform the economies of many resources rich African states, but the lack of specialized capacity in many extractive-dependent countries for the management of these resources remains a major challenge.
The ERS assists governments to maximize the benefits from natural wealth and manage their resources sustainably in the following ways:
- The formulation of long term strategies for the extractive sector;
- Crafting laws for negotiating, licensing, and enforcing contracts;
- Designing robust fiscal policy regimes to enhance revenue generation; and
- Managing natural resources deposits while addressing the problems that undermine sustainable development.
- In addition to the direct advisory support provided, ACET together with its partners conduct capacity building workshops that address concurrent challenges faced by the individual countries. These workshops also take a regional approach in order to maximize impact and enhance learning experience between countries.
Our work in this area includes the following country engagements:
- In Mozambique, ACET has conducted an initial scoping mission and has now began an engagement that will develop a framework to address key areas identified as challenges by the Government of Mozambique in the extractives sector.
- In Liberia, we have conducted a capacity building workshop on contract negotiations for the government agency responsible for petroleum (the National Oil Company of Liberia -NOCAL). ACET and its partners (Norad and RWI, along with Petrad) have also held a series of additional workshops for Liberia government officials, including legislators on Petroleum legislation, as well as a workshop on petroleum licensing and negotiations. We take a regional approach in our capacity building efforts in order to maximize impact and enhance learning experience between countries. Typically, we invite other West African countries to these workshops.
In Sierra Leone, we have been providing support in the petroleum sector. ACET along with Norad and RWI provided assistance to the Government of Sierra Leone through the process of developing a Petroleum Policy. The Petroleum Policy was approved by the Cabinet in July 2010 and formed the basis for the revision of the petroleum legislation.
