Yaa Naa backs Explorco’s Voltaian Basin drilling, says ‘you will hit oil’
The overlord of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Mahama Abukari II, has declared his confidence that GNPC Explorco will strike oil in commercial quantities as the company begins its next phase of exploration in the Voltaian Basin.
The Basin spans about 460 communities across 13 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, 10 of which are in the Northern Region and three in the Savannah Region. President John Dramani Mahama announced at the Africa Oil Week in Accra last week that GNPC and Explorco are preparing to drill two exploration wells by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
Addressing the Explorco board and management during a courtesy call at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi, the Yaa Naa said the move marked a turning point for Northern Ghana. “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 said.
He stressed that oil discovery in the region would add to its long-standing contribution to national development. “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,” he noted.
The Yaa Naa pledged his continued support for the project, just as he had during earlier stages. “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 assured.
The Explorco delegation was led by Board Chairman Dr Aaron Issa Anafure, who confirmed President Mahama’s announcement and stressed that the company was determined to deliver. “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,” he said.
Dr Anafure underscored the importance of collaboration with the traditional leadership and people of the north. “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,” he remarked.
He added that a successful oil find would transform livelihoods by reducing rural-urban migration. “When Explorco is successful in discovering oil, the rural-urban migration the Northern part of Ghana continues to witness will be a thing of the past because of the many employment opportunities this will offer,” he explained.
The Explorco team also included Managing Director Samuel Opoku Arthur, Deputy Managing Director (Technical) Iddris Abukari Abdul-Mumin, board members Hon. Benjamin Narteh Ayiku and Madam Stella Bondzie, and other senior staff.