The Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC) has begun preparations for the 2026 African Border Day celebrations with a major humanitarian intervention in Agatuse, a border community in the Sapelliga area of the Bawku West District.

The initiative forms part of efforts to promote peace, security and cooperation among communities living along Ghana’s borders.

As part of the programme, the Commission commissioned and handed over a mechanised borehole to the Agatuse community.

The project was funded by the German Federal Foreign Office through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) under the Integrated Border Stability Mechanism.

A similar borehole project is expected to be commissioned in Nakolo, in the Paga area of the Kassena Nankan West District, on June 17.

The intervention aims to improve access to clean water, enhance living conditions, and strengthen stability in border communities where access to basic resources remains a challenge.

Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Boundary Commission, Major General Anthony Ntem, the Commission’s Director of Research, John Tsotorvor, stressed the importance of access to water in promoting peace and security.

He noted that improving access to potable water is critical to enhancing human security, supporting peaceful coexistence and advancing sustainable boundary governance among communities that depend heavily on limited natural resources.

“The Ghana Boundary Commission is interested in the livelihoods of border residents, as they constitute one of our key stakeholders. The 6th Strategic Objective of the Commission focuses on social intervention initiatives in deprived border communities,” Mr Tsotorvor said.

The District Chief Executive for Bawku West, James Ayamwego, welcomed the intervention, describing water scarcity as a major challenge affecting livelihoods, sanitation and peaceful coexistence in many border communities.

“We are happy for this life-saving gesture that will ensure peaceful co-existence between our neighbours and us, but we need more support,” he said.

He urged the Assembly to establish a maintenance committee to ensure the facility's long-term sustainability.

National Planning Officer at IOM, Daniel Tagoe, also highlighted the role of access to water in preventing conflicts in border communities and expressed confidence that the borehole would serve as a source of unity.

As part of the outreach programme, the Ghana Boundary Commission donated 500 exercise books to pupils of Agatuse Primary and Junior High School.

It also organised health screening exercises in Agatuse and Sapelliga, providing services to more than 500 residents.

The Commission further used the occasion to educate community members and other stakeholders on its mandate and the importance of safeguarding Ghana’s territorial sovereignty.