BONABOTO Backs Bolgatanga Airport Budget, Urges Action
Members of the Bolgatanga, Nabdam, Bongo and Tongo (BONABOTO) area have commended the government for allocating funds in the 2026 Budget for the construction of the Bolgatanga Airport in the Upper East Region.
The group, however, appealed for urgent attention to road infrastructure, education, chieftaincy disputes and regional connectivity in the region.
These concerns were captured in a communiqué issued at the end of BONABOTO’s Silver Jubilee Congress, held from December 29 to 31, 2025, at Damolg–Tindongo in the Upper East Region.
The congress was held under the theme: “Celebrating our legacy, unity, advocacy, culture and impact – The journey continues!”
The event brought together BONABOTO members from Ghana and the diaspora to review the association’s advocacy efforts over the years, examine development challenges confronting the Bolgatanga, Nabdam, Bongo and Tongo areas, and assess their collective contribution to socio-economic development in the region and northern Ghana.
In a communiqué signed by the National President of BONABOTO, Professor Samuel Awinkene Atintono, the association noted that the Silver Jubilee marked 25 years of organising national congresses from 2001 to 2025.
BONABOTO applauded the government for making budgetary provision in the 2026 fiscal year for the construction of the Bolgatanga Airport, describing the decision as a major milestone in addressing a long-standing infrastructure gap in the region.
The association noted that it had advocated for the airport for more than two decades, stressing that the project would stimulate economic growth, enhance trade and commerce, facilitate medical evacuations, strengthen supply chains, boost tourism and improve regional and national connectivity.
On the protracted Bawku conflict, the communiqué commended the Government for steps taken towards restoring peace and stability in the area.
“BONABOTO acknowledges the security, mediation and peacebuilding interventions aimed at restoring calm in Bawku and its surrounding communities,” the statement said.
The association appealed for the prioritisation of the construction and rehabilitation of internal roads within the Bolgatanga Municipality and across the BONABOTO area.
BONABOTO called for adequate budgetary allocations in subsequent fiscal years to support comprehensive road construction and maintenance programmes.
The congress also called for the immediate approval of Gurene (Frafra) as an examinable subject by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) from 2026.
The communiqué drew attention to the unresolved Bolgatanga chieftaincy dispute, which has been before the courts since 2013.
BONABOTO expressed concern about the deteriorating condition of the Bolgatanga–Tamale road, describing it as a critical economic corridor linking the Upper East Region to other parts of Ghana.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
