He said the region’s cultural heritage and tourism potential could support a range of businesses if investors were willing to look beyond immediate financial returns and invest in infrastructure, skills development and the promotion of local attractions.
Speaking on A1 Radio’s programme, Turning Culture into Employment: Adapting the Local Way, Mr Aborah said Northern Ghana’s diverse cultural traditions were not receiving adequate exposure because of limited investment, inadequate infrastructure and poor presentation.
“It is about time we ourselves package ourselves and throw it to the world,” he said.
Mr Aborah, who is also Chairman of the Paga Youth Movement, said he had invested in LED screens, sound systems and other event equipment to help improve the quality of events organised in the Upper East Region.
According to him, the investment was partly intended to reduce the need for event organisers to bring equipment and technical services from Accra and other parts of the country.
He argued that the difference between events organised in Northern Ghana and those held in cities such as Accra and Kumasi was often not the quality of the cultural content but the equipment, branding and presentation.
Mr Aborah said he had also trained young people in Paga to operate and manage the equipment, providing them with skills and opportunities to earn income through the events industry.
He acknowledged that investments in culture and entertainment might not always produce immediate financial returns but said their potential to create employment and develop the region should encourage more people to participate.
“I encourage many more people to invest into it,” he said.
He urged individuals with resources to consider how their investments could benefit communities and create opportunities for young people beyond their immediate families.
“Don’t just look at the immediate benefit that you want to benefit with your family. But create avenues for other youth to emulate from you,” he stated.
Mr Aborah also called for stronger collaboration among communities in the Upper East Region to promote their cultural identities and traditions.
He said cultural differences should be used to encourage tourism and strengthen relationships among communities rather than become sources of division.
According to him, organising events that bring together different cultural groups could help residents appreciate one another’s traditions while creating opportunities for traders, entertainers and other businesses.
He also stressed the importance of preserving local languages and traditions as part of efforts to develop a distinctive tourism identity for the region.
Mr Aborah cited the Volta Region as an example of an area he believes has made deliberate efforts to promote its tourism identity, urging stakeholders in the Upper East Region to adopt a similarly coordinated approach.
He further proposed developing tourism activities around the region’s landscapes and seasonal characteristics, including events during the rainy and dry seasons.
Such initiatives, he argued, could attract visitors at different times of the year and provide additional business opportunities for local communities.
Mr Aborah maintained that the region’s culture and tourism attractions should be treated as economic assets capable of generating income and employment rather than resources preserved solely for occasional celebrations.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga
