Ghana has undergone significant changes in its administrative regions over the years. President Nana Akuffo Addo per his campaign added six new regions to the ten regions giving rise to 16 regions in Ghana.
In this article, we will discuss the names of the new regions, their capitals, and more.
The Six Newly Created Regions In Ghana
The creation of additional six regions to the already existing ten has brought to an end the numerous petitions dating back to the year 1954.
This took place on February 12, 2019, under the incumbent president His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo.
During the 2019 campaign of the NPP led by Nana Addo Dankwa, the now-president promised during his campaign that for an even distribution of national cake and better governance, some regions would have to give birth to another region, which means some regions needed to be carved out of the already existing regions.
So Ghana had to hold a referendum to vote in agreement or against this policy. Fortunately, the proposed areas got 90% or more approval from the citizens.
The regions of Ghana are administrative divisions that are used to govern the affairs of the country.
Every region has its head known as the Regional Minister. The Regional Minister is appointed by the president of the country.
For better governance, the regions are again divided into districts and also headed by District Chief Executives.
All these are done for a better governance system that aims at improving the standard of life of the average Ghanaian.
Before moving straight to the newly created regions let’s have a recap on the already existing ten regions in Ghana.
The Ten Already Existing Regions In Ghana
The ten old regions were created during the colonial era and it was established based on the existing administrative structures at that period.
Here are the already existing ten regions and their capital towns.
The previous 10Regions And Their Capitals
- Greater Accra Region – Accra
- Ashanti Region – Kumasi
- Western Region – Takoradi
- Eastern Region – Koforidua
- Central Region – Cape Coast
- Brong-Ahafo Region – Sunyani
- Northern Region – Tamale
- Upper East Region – Bolgatanga
- Upper West Region – Wa
- Volta Region – Ho
The Creation Of The New Region
The president of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo on 12th February 2019signed into law the creation of six new regions in Ghana.
For this reason, a commission was established to look into the matter behind the creation of the regions based on recommendations.
This commission was given the obligation of assessing the viability and potential of the proposed regions.
What Is The Purpose Of The New Region?
The reason behind the new regions is to bring governance very close to the citizens and speed up development in the affected areas.
This creation of the six new regions is also seen as promoting and ensuring equal sharing of national cake such as distribution of resources and opportunities.
The Six New Regions
1. The Ahafo Region
The Ahafo region was carved out of Brong Ahafo Region. Its capital is Goaso. The Ahafo region is well known for agricultural produce like yam, plantain, cocoa, and more.
2. The Bono East Region
The Bono Region was as well carved out of the Brong Ahafo Region. Techiman is its capital city. The Bono East region is Known for timber and farm produce.
3. The North East Region
The North East Region was carved out of the Northern Region. Nalerigu is its capital. The North East is popular for its livestock, crop production, and ecotourism.
4. The Savannah Region
The Savannah Region was carved out of the Northern region. Damongo is its capital city. The Savannah region is well known for its cultural heritage and wildlife such as elephants, baboons, and several others.
5. The Oti Region
The Oti region was carved out of the Volta region. Dambai is its capital town. The Oti region is known for farm produce like yam, cassava, and more.
6. The Western North Region
The Western North Region was carved out of the Western Region. Sefwi Wiawso is its capital town. The region is popular for gold, cocoa production, and timber.
Conclusion
The new region was created under the current president Nana Addo Dankwa to bring significant development to the affected areas.
It is also meant to bridge the gap of governance between the people and the government. A commission was established to look into the creation of the region to say assess the viability and potential of the created region.
The 6 new regions were created in 2019. As a beginner, understanding the names and locations of the regions can aid in understanding the administrative structures and the historical development of Ghana.
In the article, we covered the 6 newly created regions in Ghana, the purpose of creation, their significant importance, their capitals, and more.
