New Knowledge Partnership to Anchor Development in Northern Ghana; National Launch Set for November 30 at UDS Tamale
ACCRA, GHANA — 2 October 2026 — The Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) and the AfCFTA Young Entrepreneurs Federation (AfYEF) have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the development of the John Dramani Mahama Presidential Library & Legacy Centre (JDM-PLLC).
The MOU, signed at the Ghana Library Authority Head Office in Accra, provides professional and institutional support for the library, archives and knowledge-preservation components of the proposed Centre, following more than three years of groundwork, stakeholder consultations and institutional engagement led by AfYEF Founder and President Chief Siita Sofo Hissan.
“DEVELOPMENT MUST BE DELIBERATE”
AfYEF President Chief Siita Sofo Hissan emphasised the importance of deliberate investment in knowledge infrastructure as part of efforts to address regional development disparities.
“Development must be deliberate if we are to bridge the gap between the North and South.”
He said the JDM-PLLC is conceived as a living institution connecting legacy with education, digital skills, heritage, research, entrepreneurship and opportunities for young people.
SCOPE OF THE PARTNERSHIP
The GhLA collaboration will cover:
- Library development and professional technical support
- Archives, preservation and knowledge management
- Digitisation and expanded public access to information
- Research and institutional sustainability
- Cultural heritage and knowledge preservation
The partnership is intended to strengthen the professional and institutional foundations of the library and archives components of the JDM-PLLC.
The JDM-PLLC is privately initiated and is being advanced through AfYEF, its partners, investors, philanthropists and development partners rather than through Government of Ghana funding.
A COLLECTIVE PARTNERSHIP
The JDM-PLLC initiative has developed through engagement with public institutions, traditional authorities, academic and knowledge institutions, and African and development organisations.
Recognised partners and stakeholders currently associated with the initiative include:
- Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly
- Bole District Assembly
- Bole Traditional Council
- Ministry for Youth Development & Empowerment
- National Commission on Culture (NCC)
- USAfrica Caribbean Exchange (UACE)
- University for Development Studies (UDS)
- Ghana Library Authority (GhLA)
The broader stakeholder network also includes the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, Jobs & Employment, traditional authorities across Northern Ghana, African and diaspora organisations, and development and private-sector partners. The project has received more than 50 endorsements and expressions of support.
MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT
The JDM-PLLC project began a little over three years ago and has since involved consultations and engagement with individuals and institutions across Northern Ghana and beyond.
More than 50 individuals and institutions have endorsed or expressed support for the initiative, including leading traditional authorities in Northern Ghana such as the Yagbon-Wura, Wa Naa, Sagnari-Naa and Bolewura, among others, as well as Ministers, public officials and representatives of academic and development institutions.
The project’s stated objective is to establish a permanent, non-partisan institution focused on knowledge, heritage, research, culture and youth development.
FROM LEGACY TO OPPORTUNITY
The proposed JDM-PLLC is structured around three Tier-1 locations:
Tamale — Main Institutional & Knowledge Hub
Centred around the University for Development Studies, with proposed library, archives, research, academic collaboration, youth programmes and institutional functions.
Busunu — Heritage, Leadership & Community Hub
A proposed complementary location for heritage, leadership development, youth programmes and community-based cultural activities.
Bole — Presidential Heritage & Tourism Hub
A proposed heritage and tourism destination connected to President Mahama’s hometown and the wider history and culture of Northern Ghana.
The project’s guiding philosophy is:
Preserve the Legacy.
Develop Knowledge.
Empower People.
Inspire the Future.
The proposed institution is expected to include a Presidential Library & Archives, Presidential Institute, Research & Knowledge Centre, Digital Library and Archives, Conference & Leadership Centre, African Youth Fellowship, Northern Ghana Museum and Youth Development & Skills Training Centre, among other facilities.
HERITAGE, TOURISM AND LOCAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
The initiative seeks to connect heritage and knowledge infrastructure with tourism, employment, entrepreneurship and local economic activity.
Its development framework is:
HERITAGE → KNOWLEDGE → TOURISM → JOBS → SMEs → LOCAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY → COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The proposed Northern Ghana tourism network would connect the three Tier-1 locations with destinations including Mole National Park, Larabanga and other cultural, historical and community-based tourism attractions.
NEXT STEP: NATIONAL LAUNCH
With the signing of the MOU with the Ghana Library Authority, the JDM-PLLC initiative has reached a significant institutional milestone and paved the way for the official national launch of the project on 30 November 2026.
NATIONAL LAUNCH
Date: Monday, 30 November 2026
Time: 10:00 AM
Venue: UDS Multipurpose Auditorium / Great Hall
Location: Tamale, Ghana
The national launch will formally present the project’s more-than-three-year development journey and open the next phase of founding-partner mobilisation, fundraising, masterplanning and development.
The project’s media brief identifies the launch as the transition into its founding-partner, fundraising, masterplanning and development phase.
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
AfCFTA Young Entrepreneurs Federation (AfYEF) — A continental youth-focused organisation working to mobilise young entrepreneurs and promote trade, entrepreneurship and private-sector participation under the African Continental Free Trade Area. AfYEF is advancing the JDM-PLLC initiative.
Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) — Ghana’s national library institution responsible for the development and management of public library services and the promotion of reading, learning and access to information.
MEDIA CONTACT
Office of the President / Communications Directorate
AfCFTA Young Entrepreneurs Federation (AfYEF)
Email: press@afyef.org | president@afyef.org
Tel: +233 244 030 280
Web: www.afyef.org
