The Paga Youth Movement (PAYOM) is calling on former President John Dramani Mahama and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) to prioritize the upgrading of the historic Paga/Navrongo Airstrip into a full-fledged regional airport.
In a strongly worded press statement issued on May 28, the youth-led advocacy group welcomed Mahama’s recent directive to GACL to seek private investment for a regional airport in the Upper East Region.
However, they expressed growing frustration over what they described as the neglect of the Paga/Navrongo airstrip despite its strategic location, historical value, and existing infrastructure.
“Radio stations and social media have been dominated by campaigns promoting a one-sided approach,” said Desmond Ayambire Abire, Public Relations Officer for PAYOM. “Some go as far as mocking the Paga-Navrongo area as having already lost the airport opportunity.”
PAYOM lamented that the Upper East Regional Minister and GACL officials have not visited the airstrip, which has served Ghana since its construction in 1939 and was previously assessed as viable for conversion during the tenure of the late Joseph Kofi Addah, a former Minister of Aviation.
The group argued that repurposing the existing facility is not only cost-effective but also presents a ready-made solution for boosting trade and connectivity with landlocked Sahelian countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
“Upgrading the Paga/Navrongo Airstrip into a regional airport will enhance trade between Ghana and our Sahelian neighbours, while reinforcing Ghana’s position as a sub-regional trade hub,” the statement emphasized.
PAYOM concluded by urging President Mahama and potential investors to seriously consider the airstrip for development under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), describing it as a “golden opportunity” for economic transformation in the region.
“We respectfully urge the Government of Ghana, under the leadership of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, to consider upgrading the existing Paga/Navrongo Airstrip as the most practical and financially prudent option,” the statement read. “Private investors should not overlook this opportunity where the returns are high, and the groundwork is already laid.”
As momentum builds for a regional airport in the Upper East Region, all eyes now turn to decision-makers in Accra to see if the historic Paga airstrip will finally take off into a new era.