President John Dramani Mahama during a Thank-You durbar at the Jubilee Park in Bolgatanga reiterated a manifesto and campaign pledge he made to the people of the Upper East Region to construct an airport for them if he won the 2024 general elections. He announced that he had directed the MD of the Ghana Airport Company to source for funding under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. “We intend to do this under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, in conjunction with the gold mining companies in this region, since this will allow them also to airlift their gold bullion safely to Accra, directly from the Upper East Region.” President Mahama added to the delight of the people.
This announcement created the much-needed euphoria among many citizens and business actors who travel to the region to conduct business operations. Before this euphoria could settle down, I chanced upon an opinion piece that sought to question the economic and commercial viability of the long-awaited project. The writer’s opinion piece was one-sided, poorly researched and must be rejected by the government and the private sector in favour of the airport project.
The Financial Reality of Regional Airports
The writer failed to appreciate that airports are not only constructed because of the direct profits these can accrue to the state but also because they impact diverse aspects of the local economy by creating jobs, improving productivity, and enhancing economic growth.
The writer also failed to recognize that a PPP model would be deployed in the construction of the airport. This means that construction costs would not be borne by only the state but also the private sector. Cardinal Namdini Mining Ltd is the third largest Mine in Ghana currently with over $700 million dollar investment in the project in the Talensi district of the region.
Public-Private Partnership: A Risky Bet?
Private investors are profit-driven, and if the numbers do not add up, their interest in the project may be limited or entirely nonexistent.
The writer’s argument is dead on arrival as there is already an established interest in the project. A simple Google search would have prevented this moot question. Cardinal Namdini Mining Ltd made their intentions to collaborate with the state in a PPP arrangement public in October 2023. Graphic Online reported on October 5, 2025 that the Project Manager, Mr. Steve Ofori-Asamoah disclosed the company plans to collaborate with the government to construct the airport. Mr. Ofori-Asamoah added that the ‘’company had already approved an initial amount to kick-start the project’’. Therefore, what really held back the start of the project was the previous government’s inaction towards the project and not a lack of private investors to collaborate with the government as the writer sought to create.
Questions of Demand and Feasibility
How many domestic airlines currently operate in Ghana, and how many would be willing to expand their services to Bolgatanga?
The Upper East Region is the furthest region from the national capital, Accra. It is a region that borders Togo and Burkina Faso. It’s the region easily accessed by Mali and Niger. The economic activity between Ghana and the recently formed Alliance of Sahel States in particular cannot be underestimated. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, in 2023, over 25% of Ghana exports to Africa went to Burkina Faso (12.6%), Togo (6.2%), Mali (4.7%) and Niger (1.8%). The Upper East region is the main region through which these goods and services are exported to these countries. An airport in the region would ease travel between Ghana and these countries and promote intra-African trade.
In fact, a good number of business travelers from these countries have already been flying from Tamale to Accra instead of from their capital towns to Accra. The main reason is that international flights from their countries to Accra are sometimes about 200 per cent more expensive than the domestic flights between Tamale and Accra. An airport in Bolgatanga would therefore attract more passengers they would no longer travel between 2 to 3 hours from Bolgatanga to Tamale. This will expand economic activities for the local economy and boost revenue for Ghana.
What is the anticipated volume of air traffic to the proposed airport?
In view of the fact that Bolgatanga is the furthest region from Accra, the risks involved and time spent (at least 2 hours) travelling by road from Tamale, air throughput between Accra and Bolgatanga is expected to be high. I will dare say that this throughput will likely exceed the current volumes between Accra and other regional capitals. The existence of the mining companies and the frequency of travels by direct employees and mining support service companies will contribute significantly to increase air traffic at the airport in Bolgatanga.
Can the majority of people in the region afford the cost of domestic flights?
I am really wondering why this question is relevant. So I will reserve my comments because I may get emotional if I make an attempt to respond as I see it as derogatory.
Were comprehensive feasibility and needs assessment studies conducted?
Yes. There have been different studies conducted by different governments. All the studies showed that the airport is feasible.
The Alternative: Revamping the Bolgatanga Tomato Factory
President Mahama also made his intentions in the 2024 Manifesto clear as regards industrialization in the region. He pledged to revamp the Pwalugu Tomato Factory and the Zuarungu Meat Factory. The impression being created by the writer to suggest that the construction of an airport is a zero-sum project to any other project in the region is far-fetched and unfair to the facts known to many.
Conclusion
An airport project for the people of the Upper East Region is a foregone conclusion. It has the buy-in of many relevant stakeholders including the Regional House of Chiefs. The airport would not only be commercially viable but will also contribute to incentivize the local economy, create jobs, improve productivity, generate revenue and enhance economic growth. The airport project remains one of the viable low-hanging fruits we must grab, as there are private sector operators who are ready from 2023 to collaborate with the government. We cannot compare the cost of an airport to the cost of a railway line from Accra to Bolgatanga, as the writer wants us to believe that is rather a viable option. The writer is not pragmatic in recommending the construction of a railway line from Accra to Burkina Faso during the period of an IMF program.
In addition, the construction of an airport does not also mean that the region cannot have any other projects. Indeed, there are campaign and manifesto promises to complete the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulimokom road, construct the Bolgatanga-Wa road, and construct the Chuchuliga-Sandema-Fumbisi road among others. The revamping of the meat and tomato factories is also a commitment of the government.
What we need now is for citizens of the region in particular to rally support from diverse stakeholders to keep knocking on the doors of the President to find the required resources to execute these projects and not seek to use an opinion piece to deceive people.
By: Rusmond Anyinah, A Development Practitioner
