The petroleum sector in Ghana has created 7,000 permanent jobs in the country after five years of oil production, an official has said.

Eighty percent of the jobs went to Ghanaians while the other 20 percent went to expatriates, CEO of Ghana's Petroleum Commission, Theo Awhireng, told a recent conference that brought together major oil industry players in the country.

"There is a general downturn in the petroleum industry across the world, but we see a different picture in Ghana and jobs are being sustained," he said.

According to him, Ghana is fast becoming a major oil and gas investment destination due to efforts by the government to attract investors.

The official said the industry was still growing and that some major oil companies have been relocating their regional hubs to Ghana.

Minister for Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said: "Ghana is a very attractive destination for investment due to the political stability, investment climate and the ease of doing business."

He said the country aimed to become a "world class player in the oil and gas industry".

The minister, however, cautioned that the government needed to ensure recent power supply challenges did not recur.