Ghana began exporting oil in 2010. How can it prevent its politicians being struck by the 'oil curse' and corrupted by shady funds? What can it do to ensure that entire sections of the economy, whole regions and the population as a whole benefit from the new revenues? In, short, can it ward off the disadvantages that often accompany the discovery of lucrative raw materials? For Benjamin Boakye, an economics expert with the African Center for Energy Policy in Accra, the answer to these questions is simple: the laws that already exist must be implemented.

Ghana has the reputation of being a stable and democratic model state in a troubled region. The new laws introduced for the oil industry contain all that is necessary for a positive development, Boakye said in an interview with DW. "The challenge lies in their implementation."