The government is determined to reposition the Upper East Region as the hub of agribusiness, trade, and industrialization to drive the needed socioeconomic transformation of Northern Ghana.
President John Dramani Mahama, who announced this in Bolgatanga, disclosed that the government would leverage the comparative advantage of the region and invest strategically in irrigation, road infrastructure, and electricity extension to boost agricultural activities, trade, and job creation.
Additionally, the government will combine individual poverty alleviation programs with structural reforms to ensure the success of transformational projects and enhance the region’s capacity to contribute fully to the development of Ghana, he said.
“The North has vast arable lands, favorable conditions for agriculture, and an emerging agribusiness ecosystem,” President Mahama said in an address to the chiefs and people of the Upper East Region as part of his nationwide “Thank You” tour following his electoral victory in December 2024.
“The North has the potential to become a food security and agro-industrial hub for Ghana and the West African sub-region,” he said.
President Mahama recognized the significant role of the Upper East Region in the country’s agriculture and added that “by prioritizing targeted investment in irrigation, agro-processing, and rural infrastructure while ensuring accountability in the use of public funds, we will create sustainable economic opportunities that will transform livelihoods and reverse the decades of marginalization in the northern part of Ghana.”
President Mahama bemoaned the attitude of successive governments in abandoning transformational projects undertaken in Northern Ghana due to partisan politics and promised to reverse the trend.
To achieve this, President Mahama said the government would ensure accountability in the implementation of projects initiated by previous administrations. Through its “Operation Recover All Loots,” priority would be given to completing such projects to achieve the desired results.
He said, for instance, that the government had prioritized the reengineering and construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam in the region to provide sustainable water supply for agricultural activities, hydro and solar hybrid power, and flood control.
“I have asked the Finance Minister to commence a rescoping of the project (Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam) and the reevaluation of its various phases for inclusion in our Big Push infrastructure financing program. We are also exploring the use of Ghanaian civil engineering expertise to achieve this world-class project,” he stated.
The Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam has several components, including irrigation for several hectares of land, hydro and solar hybrid power production, flood control mechanisms, and aquaculture.
President Mahama also promised to complete the construction of the Tamne Irrigation Dam to support farmers in the Garu and Tempane Districts in engaging in year-round agricultural activities for food security and job creation.
Apart from that, he said, the government had also prioritized the completion of the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road, the resurfacing of the Tamale-Bolgatanga-Paga road, and the construction of the Bolgatanga-Wa road and the Navrongo-Sandema-Fumbisi-Daboya road to boost trade and improve access to markets for farmers and businesses.
“Recognizing not only the region’s strategic role in Ghana’s quest for agricultural and industrial transformation but also the need to bridge the developmental gap… I have asked the Finance Minister to fast-track efforts to unlock funds for stalled infrastructure projects in the Upper East Region,” he said.
