Renowned Ghanaian businessman and Upper East Region native, Awentami Paul Afoko, has called for the construction of an international airport in the Upper East Region, arguing that it is essential to unlocking the area's vast agricultural and export potential.

Speaking at the Regional Development Framework validation forum in Bolgatanga, Mr Afoko said the region possesses enormous economic opportunities that can be harnessed through strategic investments in agriculture, infrastructure and trade.

"As an entrepreneur, I have learnt that governments do not create businesses; entrepreneurs do. Government's responsibility is to create the environment within which businesses can thrive," he said.

Mr Afoko identified irrigation development and commercial agriculture as key drivers of economic transformation, urging increased investment in year-round cultivation of vegetables, fruits and flowers for export.

"The challenge is not finding buyers. The challenge is producing at sufficient scale throughout the year," he stated.

He also called for investment in warehouses, cold-chain infrastructure, packaging centres and standardised production systems to improve the competitiveness of locally produced goods, including shea butter, basketry and textiles.

"We must organise ourselves to produce standardised products and invest in warehouses, cold chains and packaging so that we become year-round suppliers," he said.

Mr Afoko stressed that the construction of an international airport would significantly enhance the region's export capacity by enabling perishable goods to reach international markets more quickly.

"We need an airport urgently so that flowers from the Upper East can reach Europe before Kenyan flowers do. Burkina Faso produces strawberries, and we can do the same," he remarked.

According to him, the Upper East Region's strategic location also offers significant opportunities to expand cross-border trade with neighbouring countries through stronger economic diplomacy.

"There is the need for an international airport in the region to enable us to seize export opportunities. Our strategic location also presents enormous opportunities to strengthen border trade," he added.

Mr Afoko called on the government, development partners and the diplomatic community to collaborate in positioning the Upper East Region as a major agricultural production and export hub for Ghana and the wider West African sub-region.