Oti Region Région d'Oti Oti Nutome | |
|---|---|
 Kyabobo National Park near the border with Togo | |
 Location of Oti Region in Ghana | |
| Country | Ghana |
| Capital | Dambai |
| Districts | 9[1] |
| Government | |
| • Regional Minister | John Kwadwo Gyapong[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 11,066 km2 (4,273 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
• Total | 747,248[3] |
| • Density | 67/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| Time zone | GMT |
| Area code | 031 |
| ISO 3166 code | GH-OT |
TheOti Region is one of the six newly createdregions of Ghana[4][5] and was carved out of theVolta Region in December 2018.[6][7] This followed the campaign promise ofNana Akufo-Addo to create new regions in order to bring governance closer to the people.[8] The region was inaugurated on May 14, 2019 withDambai as its capital.[7]
The execution of plans for the creation of the regions was ceded to the newly createdMinistry of Regional Reorganization and Development[9] which is under the leadership ofHon. Dan Botwe.Government of Ghana ministry charged with the responsibility of supervising the creation of new regions in Ghana.[9] In March 2017, the ministry sent the blue print for the creation of the region along with others to theCouncil of State. The council met over 36 times from the time of submission to August 2017.[10] The final stage for the creation of the region was decided through areferendum by the people within the catchment of the new region.[11] Areferendum on 27 December 2018[12] approved the creation of Oti Region. On election day, 323,708 out of 366,481 (88.33% voter turnout) registered voters cast their votes. A total of 319,296 (98.64 per cent) voted Yes and 2,878 voted No (0.89 per cent) while the number of rejected ballots was 951 (0.24 per cent).[13][14][15]
In the Oti Region of Ghana, the major languages spoken include French, English, Guan, Twi (a dialect of Akan), and Ewe, with other languages like Dagbani, Dagaare, Konkomba, Kotokoli, Nawdm, Hausa, Kabre and Akposso are also present.
French: A member of the Romance languages, all communities in this region spoke this language.
English: A member of the Germanic languages, it is the official language of Ghana.
Guan: The Guan-speaking tribes include Krachi, Nchumuru/Chonke, Buem, Nkonya, Asante, Akyode, Adele, and Ntrobo.
Twi (Akan): It encompasses the Fante and Twi dialects, is spoken by a significant portion of the population and is considered a lingua franca in the Oti Region.
Ewe: Ewe is spoken by communities along the Volta Lake and also extends into Togo and Benin.
Dagbani: A member of the Oti-Volta language group, Dagbani is spoken in the Oti region.
Dagaare: Belongs to the northern branch of the Western Oti-Volta group of the Gur branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
Konkomba: Spoken by communities in the area of the Oti River, Konkomba is a Gur language with multiple dialects.
Dangme: A Kwa language spoken by the people of Ada, Yilo and Manya Klo, S1, Osudoku, Kpone (Kpomi), Gbugblaa (Prampram) and Nugo.
Kusaal: A member of the Niger-Congolese, Atlantico-Congolese, Voltaic-Congolese, North, Gur, Gur central, North, Oti-Volta, West, Southeast linguistic family.
Nawdm also known asLosso spoken by Nawdba people. Nawdm is a Gur language of Togo and Ghana. It belongs to the Niger-Congo language family
Kotokoli: also known asTem, is a Gur language belonging to the Niger-Congo family, spoken in Togo, Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso.
Kabre: also known asKabiye which is a Gur (Voltaic) language spoken primarily in Togo, Benin and Ghana.
Hausa: is a Chadic languagespoken primarily in the northern parts of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo.
Akposso: is the language of the Akposso people, mainly in the Plateau Region of Togo and in Ghana. It is considered as one the Ghana–Togo Mountain languages.
The political administration of the region is through the local government system. Under this administration system, the region is divided into Nine (9) Municipal and District Assemblies (M/DAs) (made up of 4 Municipalities and 5 District Assemblies).[16][17] Each Municipal and District Assembly, is administered by a Chief Executive, representing the central government but deriving authority from an Assembly headed by a presiding member elected from among the members themselves. The current list is as follows:
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| # | MMDA Name | Capital | MMDA Type | Chief Executive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biakoye | Nkonya Ahenkro | District | Hon. Millicent Kabuki Carboo[18] |
| 2 | Jasikan | Jasikan | Municipal | Hon. Elizabeth Kessewah Adjornor[19] |
| 3 | Kadjebi | Kadjebi | District | Hon. Wilson Kwami Agbanyo[20] |
| 4 | Krachi East | Dambai | Municipal | Hon. Bernard Aboakoja Mensah[21] |
| 5 | Krachi Nchumuru | Chinderi | District | Hon. Nkrumah Kwesi Ogyile[22] |
| 6 | Krachi West | Kete Krachi | Municipal | Hon. Emmanuel Kajal Jalula[23] |
| 7 | Nkwanta North | Kpassa | District | Hon. William Nawugma Kidignang[24] |
| 8 | Nkwanta South | Nkwanta | Municipal | Hon. Bright Lenwah[25] |
| 9 | Guan | Likpe-Mate | District | Hon. Janet Emefa Obro-Adibo[26] |
The Oti Region isbordered on the north by theNorthern region, to the south by the Volta Region, and to the west by the Volta Lake. It has 9 districts.
The Oti Region is much drier than the rest of the southern areas of Ghana, due to its proximity to the north. The vegetation consist of mostly of grassland, especiallysavanna with clusters of drought-resistant trees such asbaobabs oracacias. Between December and April is thedry season. Thewet season is between about May and November with an average annual rainfall of 750 to 1050 mm (30 to 40 inches). The highest temperatures are reached at the end of the dry season, the lowest in December and January. However, the hotHarmattan wind from the Sahara blows frequently between December and the beginning of February. The temperatures can vary between 14 °C (59 °F) at night and 40 °C (104 °F) during the day.
The Ghana Geological Survey Authority has discovered large quantities of Iron ore deposits in Akokrowa, a farming community in the Oti Region of Ghana. The iron ore, according to the geological investigation, is 55.22 weight percent (Fe) and of a higher grade. It is anticipated that the exploration and the business of the Iron will create jobs and wealth for the people of Oti and the country in general.[27]