Upper East RCC adopts PEARL framework as 10-year development blueprint

By – Prosper Adaakai

The Upper East Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) has adopted the Prosperity through Enterprise, Agriculture, Resilience and Livelihoods (PEARL) Framework as a working document to guide the region’s development and investment priorities from 2026 to 2035

The framework is expected to provide a long-term development roadmap and mobilise an indicative GH¢8.6 billion in public and private-sector investments towards economic transformation, job creation and improved livelihoods across the Upper East Region

The Upper East Regional Minister, Akamugri Donatus Atanga, announced the adoption at the first meeting of the RCC in Bolgatanga on Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Mr Atanga said PEARL was conceived as a regional development agenda that would extend beyond the tenure of a single political administration, with emphasis on continuity, investment and measurable development outcomes

He said a PEARL Secretariat would be established within the Regional Planning Coordinating Unit of the RCC to coordinate implementation, monitor progress and support the alignment of projects with the framework

The establishment of such a coordinating mechanism is consistent with Ghana’s decentralised planning system. Under the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), Regional Coordinating Councils are responsible for coordinating district plans and programmes, harmonising them with national development priorities, and monitoring and evaluating development projects in the region. The Regional Planning Coordinating Unit provides planning advice and serves as the secretariat for the RCC’s planning functions

PEARL was first presented as a 10-year regional development and investment framework in June 2026. At the Upper East Regional Development and Business Forum, stakeholders discussed its potential to position the region for investment in agriculture, enterprise development, infrastructure, manufacturing, trade and sustainable livelihoods

The framework is built around the region’s economic opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, enterprise development, mineral resources, tourism, trade, human capital and private-sector development

Its investment ambition includes both public and private-sector financing, with government allocations, development partners, private investors and other sources identified as potential contributors

A major emphasis is expected to be placed on moving agriculture beyond primary production towards irrigation, processing, value addition and agribusiness, while supporting enterprises and industries capable of creating employment and strengthening local value chains

The Regional Minister said the RCC would therefore work with the private sector and prospective investors to develop investment-ready projects capable of attracting financing into the region

He said the region’s natural and human-resource potential must translate into businesses, employment opportunities and improved living conditions rather than remain largely untapped

The PEARL initiative also comes as the region seeks to align its development priorities with the national 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme

At the June 2026 regional development forum, Senior Presidential Adviser and 24-Hour Economy Secretariat Coordinator, Dr Augustus Goosie Tanoh, said the regional framework complemented the national programme’s emphasis on agriculture, manufacturing, value addition, logistics and export-oriented production

Beyond economic development, the RCC’s September meeting considered a range of regional priorities, including peace and security, infrastructure, healthcare, education, sanitation, the proposed Upper East Regional Airport, redevelopment of the Bolgatanga Sports Stadium and implementation of the 24-Hour Economy programme

The airport and stadium projects have featured among major infrastructure priorities being discussed for the region, while the broader PEARL framework is intended to provide a coordinated development context within which investment proposals can be pursued

Mr Atanga said the RCC would continue to focus on converting government commitments, regional plans and investment proposals into tangible projects and outcomes for communities across the Upper East Region

The adoption of PEARL now shifts the focus from developing and promoting the framework to implementation, financing, coordination and monitoring—areas that will determine whether the GH¢8.6 billion investment ambition translates into actual projects, jobs and improved livelihoods over the 10-year period