President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to soon cut sod for the construction of the long-awaited Bolgatanga Airport, a project expected to expand regional connectivity, stimulate trade, and improve investment prospects in northern Ghana.
The airport, to be located at Anateem, a suburb of Sumbrungu in the Upper East Region, is intended to open up the region’s aviation space and enhance access to mining, commercial, and tourism opportunities. President Mahama’s announcement brings renewed momentum to a project that has remained on the national agenda for over a decade.
The Bolgatanga Airport has been a long-standing promise, with commitments dating back to 2014 under successive administrations. Its anticipated commencement has been welcomed across the Upper East Region and neighboring northern areas, where improved air connectivity is seen as critical to economic growth and regional integration.
Providing an update on the project, President Mahama disclosed that a government delegation was recently dispatched to the Upper East Region to inspect land earmarked for the airport at Bolgatanga. According to him, the delegation confirmed the suitability of the site for construction.
He further revealed that Parliament, through the support of the Majority Leader and Members of Parliament, has approved a new Airport Infrastructure Development Levy, which will be used to fund the project.
“By courtesy of the Majority Leader and the members of Parliament, they approved a new Airport Infrastructure Development Levy. So, the airport is being funded out of that levy. And so, very soon, I’ll come and invite all of you and we’ll go to the site for the start of the construction,” President Mahama added.
Earlier developments have also pointed to growing institutional readiness for the project. On January 6, 2026, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Mrs. Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, led a 25-member board delegation to inspect the proposed airport site in Bolgatanga. The visit renewed optimism that construction could soon begin.
The inspection was carried out in the company of the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, the Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Rev. Stephen Wilfred Arthur, and other technical officials.
Following the inspection, GACL indicated that construction of the Bolgatanga Airport could commence in the second quarter of 2026, subject to the completion of regulatory processes. The GACL Chief Executive explained that once outstanding documentation is received, the company will proceed to develop a concept design for the airport, which will be submitted to the GACL Board and relevant regulatory bodies, including the Environmental Protection Agency. Several feasibility and technical studies have already been conducted.
President Mahama first pledged to deliver the airport during his Building Ghana Tour ahead of the 2024 elections, when he assured members of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs in Bolgatanga of his commitment to constructing a modern airport in the region.
The project has featured in earlier policy discussions. In 2017, then Minister of Aviation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, announced government plans to construct an airstrip at Sherigu, with the longer-term objective of developing a full airport in Bolgatanga to boost tourism and local enterprise.
When completed, the Bolgatanga Airport will further expand Ghana’s domestic aviation network. The project also complements broader aviation infrastructure plans, including the anticipated Phase II development of the Prempeh I International Airport in Kumasi.
The proposed Bolgatanga Airport is expected to significantly strengthen Ghana’s diplomatic footprint and international engagement, particularly in the northern corridor and the wider Sahel sub-region. By improving air connectivity to the Upper East Region, the airport will enhance cross-border diplomacy, trade facilitation, and security cooperation with neighbouring Burkina Faso and other landlocked Sahelian states.
It also aligns with Ghana’s broader international agenda of decentralising development, positioning regional capitals as viable entry points for investors, development partners, humanitarian agencies and diplomatic missions, while reinforcing Ghana’s role as a stable gateway to West Africa.
Currently, Ghana’s aviation infrastructure is anchored by Kotoka International Airport in Accra, the country’s main international gateway, alongside two other international airportsKumasi Prempeh I International Airport and Tamale International Airport, which have expanded air access to the middle and northern belts respectively.
The addition of the Bolgatanga Airport would therefore close a critical geographical gap in Ghana’s aviation network, ensuring more balanced national connectivity and reinforcing the country’s long-term vision of inclusive growth and strategic international engagement.
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