Tamale holds the key ....

.... to a buoyant Ghana’s domestic aviation industry

I had the opportunity of travelling by air for the first time to Tamale, thanks to Antrak Air Students’ fare scheme. I was very anxious and excited to have a feel of air travelling experience on the day of my journey. After checking in and going through luggage formalities, we waited for some minutes and finally our flight was announced. We headed to the runway, where the plane was waiting for us to board. In order to catch a glimpse of what happens when in flight, I sat by the window and soon a middle aged man sat by me. We were taken through some safety precautions and told to fix our seat belt. “The journey will last an hour and five minutes. We will be flying 18,000 feet above sea level. Thank You for choosing Antrak Air” the pilot announced in an Arabian accent As we were in midair, a conversation ensued between the middle-aged man and I. We talked about a wide range of issues spanning developments in Tamale to politics and even to education. According to my new found friend, he was born and raised in Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital and had to come to Tamale at some point in his life. He has been in Tamale for twenty years now, because God has been good to him through his business. He was particularly happy that Ghana’s domestic aviation industry was developing gradually and that, it meant good business especially for business men in Tamale and its environs. We were so absorbed in the conversation, so much so that we became oblivious of happenings around us in the plane. Suddenly, I realized a bump and knew we had arrived. One thing that was probably profound in all our discussion was the untapped potential of Tamale. Tamale, referred to as the “city of many colours” is officially called Tamale Metropolitan Assembly. Tamale has a projected population of about 850,000 people. It is also the fastest growing city in West Africa. The city is located 600 km north of Accra. Tamale is centrally and strategically located and therefore serves as the financial hub for northern part of Brong Ahafo Region, the three regions in the north of Ghana, northern part of Volta Region, Northern Togo, Northern Cote D’ivoire and Southern Burkina Faso. It is for this reason that Tamale has earned the undisputed title as the “Gateway of the Sahelian” Tamale is served by Tamale Airport which is located in Yilonaayili and Kogni villages approximately 7 miles (11 km) from downtown Tamale. The airport is mainly used by commercial airlines such as Starbow Airlines, AWA and Antrak Air which run daily flights between Tamale and Accra’s Kotoka International Airport along with other regional capitals. The STC Bus Station, The VIP Business Terminal, Imperial Bus Terminal and other Bus terminals dotted around downtown Tamale serve the travelling public on road. It takes between 10 to 12 hours to travel by road from Tamale to Accra, Ghana’s capital. That’s almost half of a day on the road. For this reason, the middle class in Tamale and surrounding cities have now resorted to travelling by air and have therefore made the Tamale Airport the busiest domestic airport in Ghana. The traffic to Tamale has risen in recent times and has compelled the airline operators to increase the number of flights to Tamale. Quite recently, Africa World Airline had to increase its daily flights from two to three. The story is not different for Starbow and Antrak. The distance from Tamale and surrounding cities such as Bolga, Wa, Yendi, Salaga, Damongo, and Walewale to the middle and southern part of Ghana is a long and tiring journey by road albeit, the good thing in it, is that one get the serendipity of knowing Ghana. The decision by government to set up an international airport in Tamale is therefore a good move. The airport will serve as a growth pole around which many more developmental projects will be attracted to. It is important to add that, the airport should serve as the base around which an efficient and high-speed railway system is built linking the north to the south through Tamale. This will make it possible for travelers arriving in Tamale to reroute to other cities around Tamale and particularly middle and southern Ghana. Goods will therefore be carted easily to and fro the north and the south. The international airport should also embolden us to establish an aerospace and aviation university in Tamale to use the airport for trials, practice and experimental purposes. The future is bright for Ghana’s aviation and most certainly Tamale will be at its centre. Ghanaians must therefore support the project to succeed in order that we diversify our great nation beyond what I call a ‘bi-city nation’ to one where every area’s potential is tapped adequately for national development.

Mohammed A.R. Danaa 0204425730