‘Don’t make Bolga Stadium project too ambitious’ — Gabriel Agambila cautions Upper East leaders

Development advocate Gabriel Agambila has cautioned that demands being made by some leaders in the Upper East Region for the redevelopment of the Bolgatanga Sports Stadium could make the proposed project financially unfeasible and potentially jeopardise government’s plans to construct the facility.

According to Mr Agambila, while the region deserves a modern sports facility, stakeholders must be realistic about the scope of the project to ensure that the long-awaited stadium becomes a reality.

His comments come amid renewed efforts to redevelop the abandoned Bolgatanga Sports Stadium. The Upper East Regional Coordinating Council has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and Ghana National Gas Company for support to develop the facility.

The Regional Minister, Akamugri Donatus Atanga, also inspected the facility in September ahead of a technical assessment by the Sports Ministry. The proposed redevelopment has been reported to include a football pitch, training pitch, athletics track, basketball and volleyball courts, a swimming pool, jumping facilities, conference rooms and facilities for boxing and other indoor games.

However, speaking on the issue, Agambila argued that expanding the project to include several additional facilities could increase the financial and construction burden to a point where government might reconsider the project.

He said the President, John Dramani Mahama, had seen a sports facility with about 5,000 seats during his “Thank You” tour and subsequently expressed an intention to construct similar facilities across the newly created regions.

Agambila explained that because the Upper East Region did not have a completed standard stadium, he personally advocated for the region to be included in the proposed development.

According to him, his advocacy eventually contributed to the government sending officials to assess the Bolgatanga facility.

He, however, expressed concern that demands for additional infrastructure, including a swimming pool and other facilities, could make the project too ambitious.

Agambila said stakeholders should focus on securing a facility that government can realistically complete rather than attaching so many demands to the project that its implementation becomes difficult.

He further warned that major sports infrastructure projects could take several years to complete, creating the risk that a change in government before completion could result in delays or abandonment.

He cited the Navrongo Youth Resource Centre as an example of the dangers associated with unfinished government projects.

The Navrongo facility, which was launched in May 2018 as part of a nationwide Youth Resource Centre initiative, was designed as a 5,000-capacity sports facility with an athletics track and other youth-development infrastructure. Government records showed that work had reached 82 percent by the end of 2020.

Despite the earlier progress, the project remains incomplete. Reports in 2026 indicate that the facility has deteriorated, with unfinished structures and damaged sections, nearly nine years after construction began.

Agambila therefore urged regional leaders and other stakeholders to approach the Bolgatanga Stadium project with a balance between the region’s aspirations and what can realistically be delivered.

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