Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has urged leaders in the Upper East Region to prioritise long-term economic transformation over dependence on mineral extraction, warning that mining alone cannot guarantee sustainable development.
Speaking through a representative at the launch of the 10-Year PEARL Framework for the Upper East Region on Monday, June 29, 2026, Mr Bagbin said the region must seize the opportunity to convert its mineral wealth into investments that would continue to benefit generations long after the resources have been exhausted.
He stressed that while the discovery and exploitation of mineral resources present significant economic opportunities, they should be viewed as a means to finance broader development rather than an end in themselves.
“Mining is a temporary opportunity, not a permanent development strategy,” he said.
According to the Speaker, the region’s long-term prosperity should be measured by the strength of its agriculture, industries, infrastructure, skilled workforce, businesses and public institutions, rather than the volume of minerals extracted from the ground.
He cautioned that many resource-rich regions across the world have experienced what is commonly referred to as the “resource curse,” where dependence on mineral extraction has resulted in environmental degradation, weakened local economies and limited development once mining activities decline.
Mr Bagbin said the Upper East Region has an opportunity to chart a different path by investing mining revenues strategically to diversify its economy and create sustainable livelihoods.
He described the newly launched 10-Year PEARL Framework as a forward-looking development blueprint that places sustainable economic growth above reliance on finite natural resources.
According to him, the framework provides a roadmap for ensuring that the benefits of mining are translated into lasting investments capable of driving economic resilience and improving the quality of life for residents.
“The question before us is therefore not whether the Upper East Region possesses valuable mineral resources,” he said.
“The more important question is whether those resources will become the foundation for lasting prosperity. Whether the mineral resources will be a curse or a cure to our economic malaise.”
Mr Bagbin urged policymakers, development partners and stakeholders to work together to ensure that today’s mineral wealth becomes the foundation for permanent prosperity, expressing hope that future generations would remember the current period not simply for resource extraction but for the wise decisions that transformed temporary wealth into enduring development.
