The overlord of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II, is certain that GNPC Explorco will hit oil in commercial quantities as it begins its next phase of exploration activities at the Voltaian Basin.

The Voltaian Basin spans about 460 communities in 13 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), 10 of which are in the Northern Region, with three others located in the Savanna Region.

President Mahama announced last week at the Africa Oil Week event in Accra that GNPC and Explorco are inching closer to drilling two exploration wells by the end of the third quarter of 2026.

According to Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II, this attempt to uncover hydrocarbons in commercial quantities in Northern Ghana will be a reality and a move that will be the game changer, especially for Ghanaians in the North. 

"You come to us at a time when Ghana's energy future is being shaped, and the possibility that our northern lands might contribute to the nation's petroleum resources is both exciting and significant," he noted. 

The Dagbon overlord added that "for generations, our region has been blessed with agricultural abundance, rich cultural heritage, and the prospect that we might also be blessed with oil reserves underground adds a new chapter to our story of resource endowment".

Addressing the board and management of Explorco, who paid a courtesy call on him at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi, the Yaa Naa pledged to provide the team all the support they will need in their next exploration phase, as he did in their previous activities, to make the dream of making the Northern region a potential petroleum hub a reality.

"Today, as you prepare to embark on more extensive drilling activities to assess the viability of oil wells in our region, you have our continued blessings and full support," he said. 

The visit was, among other things, to introduce the board and management of Explorco to the King and to announce to him that Explorco is now leading exploration activities on the Voltaian Basin Project.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of GNPC, Explorco operates with growing technical capability, fiscal discipline, and a vision to drive the nation’s upstream petroleum ambitions by leveraging exploration and production expertise.

The Explorco delegation, led by the Board Chairman, Dr Aaron Issa Anafure, confirmed President Mahama's announcement of drilling two exploratory wells by the end of the third quarter 2026 and assured the King that the board is bent on ensuring it happens.

"This is a new Explorco, and we want to assure you that our second coming is to reset Explorco, and it will not be like before. This is a very serious mission," the board chairman asserted. 

Dr Anafure assured the Yaa Naa on behalf of the board, management and staff of Explorco that everything possible will be done to achieve the mandate handed to Explorco to lead exploration and production in the Voltarian Basin.

He told the Yaa Naa solid partnership from his kingdom and the people of the Northern region is what Explorco requires at this juncture to carry through its mission to find hydrocarbons for Ghana in commercial quantities. 

Dr Issa Anafure said, "The face-lift in terms of development the Northern Region will witness is the reason all hands must be on deck under a peaceful atmosphere and offer the needed support to Explorco to make history".

The Explorco Board chairman again noted that when Explorco is successful in discovering oil, the rural-urban migration that the Northern part of Ghana continues to witness will be a thing of the past because of the many employment opportunities this will offer.

"This is a new Explorco and your majesty, we really mean business," Dr Anafure added.

The delegation, which included the Managing Director of Explorco, Samuel Opoku Arthur, was at the Yaa Naa’s palace in Yendi to update him on the next phase of their campaign to find hydrocarbons in commercial quantities. 

The Explorco delegation included two board members, Benjamin Narteh Ayiku and Madam Stella Bondzie and Deputy Managing Director (Technical) Iddris Abukari Abdul-Mumin.

Other management members and staff were also part of the delegation.