The Upper East Regional Coordinating Council has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening economic and technological cooperation with South Korea, expressing readiness to welcome Korean investors and technology partners to support agricultural modernisation, skills development, water management and the revival of agro-industrial facilities in the region.
The commitment was communicated by Ms Anatu Bogobiri, who represented the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, at the Ghana–Korea Business Forum 2026 held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Delivering the Regional Minister’s speech, Ms Bogobiri conveyed warm greetings from the people of the Upper East Region and explained that the Minister was unable to attend personally because of pressing official duties in the region.
She expressed appreciation to Mr Cheol Soo Lee, Chief Executive Officer of A-Tech Group Korea, as well as the Daejeon Defense Industry Cooperative Association (DICA) and Digital Eye Africa Ltd for facilitating the visit of the Korean delegation to Ghana.
She emphasised that the Upper East Region was not merely interested in establishing relations with South Korea but was prepared to translate the proposed partnership into practical development initiatives.
“The Upper East Region is not only open to Korean partnership, it is ready for a Korean partnership,” she stated.
According to her, discussions between the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council and A-Tech Group Korea over the past year have established a framework for cooperation covering drone and satellite technology, skills training, academic exchange and the revival of agro-industrial facilities.
She disclosed that the discussions had been consolidated into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Upper East Region and the Korean team, subject to approval by the relevant authorities.
A key component of the proposed collaboration is a programme with Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) to introduce drone and satellite remote-sensing capabilities in northern Ghana. The University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) in Navrongo has also been identified as a university partner.
Ms Bogobiri noted that South Korea’s transformation from a war-torn, largely rural economy into a global leader in technology and manufacturing offered valuable lessons for the Upper East Region.
She attributed Korea’s development experience to sustained investment in human capital, rural modernisation and long-term planning, adding that the Upper East Region had the land, human resources and development framework needed to accelerate its transformation.
She explained that the region, which shares borders with Burkina Faso and serves as a gateway to the Sahel and Togo, has an estimated population of 1.3 million people spread across 15 districts and municipalities. A significant proportion of the population is young and depends largely on agriculture for their livelihoods.
However, she acknowledged that the region continues to face development challenges, including a single rainy season, rising temperatures, pressure on land and water resources, and limited local processing of agricultural produce.
To address these challenges, she highlighted the Upper East Region’s PEARL Framework 2026–2035, which stands for Prosperity through Enterprise, Agriculture and Regional Livelihoods.
The ten-year development framework is estimated at GH¢8.6 billion and covers all 15 districts, eight sectors and 23 flagship projects. According to her, the framework was validated earlier this year through consultations involving traditional authorities, District Assemblies, farmers, women’s groups, traders and private-sector stakeholders.
She identified several existing resources and infrastructure that could support the proposed Korean partnership. These include the Tono, Vea and Tamne irrigation schemes, which provide opportunities for dry-season agriculture, as well as agro-industrial facilities such as the Pwalugu Tomato Factory, Zuarungu Meat Factory, Pusu-Namongo cotton ginnery and Bolgatanga rice mills.
Other opportunities include the region’s livestock and guinea fowl production potential, gold resources around Talensi and the strategic Paga border corridor, which provides access to markets across the Sahel.
Ms Bogobiri outlined five major areas where Korean technology, expertise and investment could contribute to the region’s development.
On precision agriculture and drone technology, she explained that farmers frequently suffer crop losses from drought, flooding and fall armyworm infestations, sometimes without early warning.
She said the introduction of drones and satellite data could help farmers identify threats early, map agricultural fields, monitor crop conditions and improve the application of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs.
She proposed that the initiative should initially target the Tono, Vea and Tamne irrigation schemes, where the benefits could be demonstrated more quickly.
On geospatial mapping, she noted that District Assemblies require accurate information on land, settlements and properties to improve physical planning and strengthen revenue mobilisation.
She added that the same technology could help identify water sources and monitor land restoration efforts in communities affected by mining activities.
Water management was identified as another important area for cooperation. She said Korean expertise in water treatment, small-scale purification systems and efficient irrigation could help address drinking water challenges in communities while supporting agricultural production.
On skills development, she stressed that technological investments would only be sustainable if local people acquired the knowledge to operate, maintain and repair the equipment.
She therefore called on Korean partners to work with BTU, UTAS and technical institutions in the region to train young people in drone operation, equipment maintenance, geographical information systems (GIS), cybersecurity and coding.
Industrial cooperation also featured prominently in the address. Ms Bogobiri invited Korean companies to explore investment opportunities in the region’s existing but underutilised agro-processing facilities, particularly in tomato, rice, meat and cotton processing.
She explained that these facilities already had infrastructure, land and community support, providing a foundation for potential industrial partnerships.
She further indicated that drone and geospatial technologies could support national security agencies in addressing security pressures in the region’s border communities, provided such applications operated within Ghana’s laws and in collaboration with the appropriate national authorities.
Emphasising the importance of a mutually beneficial partnership, Ms Bogobiri said the Upper East Region was prepared to offer Korean investors four major assurances.
First, she said the PEARL Framework provides a clear development roadmap, allowing potential investors to understand the region’s priorities and identify where their investments could contribute.
Second, the Regional Coordinating Council would serve as a single point of contact for Korean partners, facilitating engagement with District Assemblies, traditional authorities and relevant national institutions.
Third, she highlighted the proposed establishment of an independent PEARL Fund to manage development resources. The fund, she explained, would operate with a Board of Trustees, a citizens’ oversight committee and published accounts to promote transparency and accountability.
Finally, she pointed to the region’s two university partners and its young population as important human-resource assets capable of supporting technology transfer and industrial development.
In return, she said the region expected partnerships that would create local employment, strengthen local capacity, facilitate technology transfer and protect the environment.
“We want projects that will still be running long after the ribbon is cut. We want legacy,” she emphasised.
To move discussions beyond the conference room, Ms Bogobiri presented five practical proposals on behalf of the Regional Minister.
The first is the establishment of a drone and precision-agriculture pilot project on at least one irrigation scheme, beginning with either the Vea or Tono irrigation scheme in the next farming season.
The second proposal is the establishment of a skills and training centre at Bolgatanga Technical University to train young people in drone operation, maintenance and geospatial analysis, with UTAS serving as a partner institution.
The third is a community water-treatment demonstration project in at least one district, with the possibility of expanding the initiative to other parts of the region.
The fourth proposal is for a Korean business delegation to visit Bolgatanga on a date yet to be confirmed to assess the irrigation schemes and agro-industrial facilities firsthand.
The fifth is the formation of a joint working group comprising representatives of the Regional Coordinating Council, A-Tech Group Korea and the two universities to translate discussions from the business forum into formal project agreements.
She identified Dr Bishop Akolgo, who has previously engaged with members of the Korean delegation, as the region’s focal person for follow-up activities and encouraged participating companies to submit their contact details to facilitate further engagement.
Concluding the address, Ms Bogobiri drew on a traditional African saying to underscore the importance of cooperation in achieving sustainable development.
“In the Upper East, we have a saying that one hand cannot tie a bundle,” she remarked.
She explained that while South Korea brings technological expertise and international experience, the Upper East Region has land, water resources, human capital and a development plan that could provide a strong foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation.
She conveyed the Regional Minister’s anticipation of welcoming the Korean delegation to Bolgatanga and expressed hope that discussions at the forum would translate into tangible development projects that communities across the region could experience.
On behalf of Hon. Akamugri Donatus Atanga, she once again thanked A-Tech Group Korea, DICA and Digital Eye Africa Ltd for their contribution towards strengthening Ghana–Korea relations and wished participants a successful business forum.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com