President John Dramani Mahama has emphasized the significance of the Tamale Water Expansion and Yendi Water projects as key priorities of his administration in the Northern Region. Speaking at the Gbewaa Palace during a courtesy visit to Ndan Yaa Naa, President Mahama assured that the Yendi Water Project would be completed before the end of his term. He also pledged to commence the Tamale Water expansion project to address the growing water demands of Tamale's expanding population.

"There are two important water projects that we intend to undertake during the tenure of this administration, and one of them is the Yendi Water Supply Project... by the time I come to say goodbye at the end of my administration, Yendi will have enough water supply," President Mahama stated.

He further explained the plans for the Tamale Water expansion project, stating, "Tamale is also suffering a shortage of water... and that is because the population of Tamale continues to increase exponentially... our intention is to draw the water from the south of Tamale, that is from as far as Yapei on the White Volta and bring that water through Tamale South to supplement the water that we currently bring from Dalun so that we can increase the amount of water Tamale is getting."

In addition to the water projects, President Mahama reiterated his government's commitment to enhancing healthcare services in the region. This includes building an ultramodern hospital in Yendi, refurbishing the Tamale Central and West Hospitals, and upgrading the Tamale Teaching Hospital, fulfilling campaign promises made during the 2024 election campaigns.

Ndan Ya-Naa Abukari II, in response, appealed to the government to rename the Tamale International Airport to Gbewaa International Airport. He explained that this proposed name was reached in consultation with the King of Mamprugu, Nayiri Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga II, and the Regent of Bimbilla, Nyelinbolgu Naa Abdulai Andani Dasana. Ndan Ya-Naa believes that renaming the airport would allow the people it serves to appreciate it better.

"Such a huge investment needs to be appreciated by the people that it serves, and in consultation with the Nayiri and the Bimbilla Gbanglana, we want the airport to be renamed the Gbewaa International Airport," he said.

Ndan Ya-Naa also raised concerns about the apparent abandonment of construction works at the airport and urged the President to ensure the completion of phase three of the airport, which includes a hajj terminal. This, he added, would enable the airport to serve the people more effectively.

In related news, President Mahama criticized former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for failing to provide textbooks to students after introducing a new curriculum. During his ‘thank you’ tour in Tamale, President Mahama announced that his government has allocated GHC564.6 million for textbooks to improve learning for basic school children. He noted that Hon. Haruna Iddrisu is overseeing the implementation of this initiative, ensuring that textbooks are printed locally to boost the Ghanaian economy.

"If you will recall, the previous administration changed the curriculum, and, yet, refused to provide textbooks for our basic school students. This no-textbook phenomenon will end this year... these textbooks are going to be printed by Ghanaian printers so that the money stays here in Ghana,” he stated.

President Mahama also revealed that his administration has expanded the school feeding programme with increased funding to provide better meals for students. Additionally, resources have been allocated to provide free sanitary pads for female students to support their education.