Techiman Takyiman (Akan) | |
|---|---|
  Techiman Location of Techiman inBono East Region, Ghana | |
| Coordinates:7°35′00″N1°56′10″W / 7.58333°N 1.93611°W /7.58333; -1.93611 | |
| Country |  Ghana |
| Region | Bono East Region |
| District | Techiman Metropolitan District |
| Founded | 1740 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Metropolitan Mayor | Benjamin Yaw Gyarko |
| Population (2010)[2] | |
• Total | 67,241 |
| • Ethnicities | |
| • Religion |
|
| Time zone | GMT |
| • Summer (DST) | GMT |
| Postal codes | BT |
| Area code | 035 25 |
| Climate | Aw |
| Website | tecma |
Techiman (Akan:Takyiman) is a city and the capital of theTechiman Metropolitan District and theBono East Region ofGhana. The city is located about 32 miles (51 km) fromSunyani and about 65 miles (105 km) away fromKumasi. It has atropical savanna climate, experiencing two wet seasons and a dry season. Techiman has a population of 67,241 as of the 2010 census released by theGhana Statistical Service. The majority of ethnic groups in the city included theAkan,Bono,Gonja,Dagomba, Sisala, andMamprusi people. The mayor of the city's metropolitan, as of 2021 is Benjamin Yaw Gyarko.
The city was formally founded in 1740 and officially established as the Bono-Tekyiman state in the 1940s, after theBono state's capitalBono Manso was taken over in 1723. After areferendum in 2018 was passed with the focus of creating new regions in Ghana, Techiman was selected to be the capital of the newly created region of the Bono East Region.
Techiman is the site of an outdoor agricultural market, one of the largest markets inWest Africa. The market is also where most of the city's economic activity is situated in. The city hold a unique ethnic heritage, as its the center of theAkan people.[3] Techiman is also a commercial hub in Ghana, as its the cross point of many differenttrunk roads from cities such asSunyani,Kumasi,Wa, andTamale.
Techiman was founded as Bono-Tekyiman, or Techiman-Bono (formerly known as Bono-Manso), in the 1940s[4][5] as a successor state toBono.[6] AfterBono Manso, capital of theBono state, was taken over by theAshanti Empire in 1723 during the Asante-Bono war, the capital was moved in 1740 under Ashanti sovereignty. The current state consisted of 88 towns and villages.[7]
Areferendum in 2018 was passed with the focus of creating new regions in Ghana, which resulted in Techiman being selected as the capital of the newly created Bono East Region.[8][9]
Techiman is located at coordinates7°35′00″N1°56′10″W / 7.58333°N 1.93611°W /7.58333; -1.93611 and is about 32 miles (51 km) from Sunyani and about 65 miles (105 km) away from Kumasi.[10]
Techiman is located in the Techiman Metropolitan District, which has a land area of 649.0714 square kilometres (250.6079 sq mi). The metropolitan is bordered by four districts: theTechiman North District, theWenchi Municipal District, the Nkronza Municipalities (Nkoranza North District andNkoranza South Municipal District) and theOffinso North District.[11]
The city has atropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classificationAw), characterized by two wet seasons and a dry season. The major wet season usually occurs between April and July and the minor one beginning from September to October. The only dry season occurs from November, lasting until March in the following year. The city's experiencing moderate to heavy rainfall annually, with its annual rainfall ranging from 1,260 to 1,660 millimetres (50 to 65 in).[12] The average temperature in the city is 28 °C (82 °F) with arelative humidity of around 75–80% in the rainy season and 70–72% for the remaining year.[13]
| Climate data for Techiman(1991–2021) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.8 (92.8) | 34.3 (93.8) | 33.5 (92.3) | 32.3 (90.2) | 31.1 (88.0) | 29.2 (84.5) | 27.9 (82.3) | 27.8 (82.0) | 28.4 (83.2) | 29.4 (85.0) | 30.8 (87.4) | 32.6 (90.7) | 30.9 (87.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.3 (70.3) | 22.8 (73.1) | 23.6 (74.4) | 23.6 (74.4) | 23.1 (73.6) | 22.2 (71.9) | 21.6 (70.8) | 21.4 (70.6) | 21.6 (70.8) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.0 (71.6) | 21.3 (70.4) | 22.2 (72.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 23 (0.9) | 51 (2.0) | 112 (4.4) | 137 (5.4) | 138 (5.4) | 133 (5.2) | 119 (4.7) | 128 (5.0) | 192 (7.6) | 163 (6.4) | 76 (3.0) | 26 (1.0) | 1,298 (51) |
| Source: Climate-data.org[14] | |||||||||||||
The metropolitan has amayor–council form of government. The mayor (executive chief) is appointed by thepresident of Ghana and approved by the city council, theTechiman Metropolitan Assembly.[15] The current mayor of the metropolitan as of 2021 is Benjamin Yaw Gyarko.[1]
As of the 2010 census released by theGhana Statistical Service, Techiman has a population of 67,241 people.[16] About 95% of the population is religious, where about 69.5% are Christian, 27.4% are Islamic, and 0.9% aretraditionalists. The majority of ethnic groups in the city consists of theAkans,Bono,Gonjas,Dagombas, Sisalas andMamprusis.[17]
Due to the city's rapid growth as a result of its location and commercial importance, there has been an intense need for land and housing. Although, there are more homes being built than any other time periods in the country's history.[18]: 6 Most property in Techiman is owned by traditional chiefs.[19]
There has been a decline ofcompound housing and the increase ofdetached housing in the city, which could be attributed to the rise of detached housing across Ghana. One exception is Takofiano, a low-income community of both indigenes and migrants located in Techiman dominated by compound housing. The situation is entirely different in Hansua, a high-income peri-urban community where detached housing is the norm. The community used to be farmland which has now being redevelop for the wealthy households in Techiman.[18]: 7, 10
A Cattle farmer/trader from Takofiano explained how long building in Techiman takes due to issues relating to financing.[18]: 17
I started [building a structure] in 1996 and two years ago (2023) I completed it [construction spanned a period of 26 years]. Funds used in putting up this structure [house] were sourced from my work [savings and incomes] and then more recently funds received from my son who is now a teacher based in Kumasi. When I started the building, my son was a little child, and it’s taken all these years to now complete it.
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The dominated employing economic sector isagriculture (36%), followed byservice andsales (28.2%). The city's economy is mostly rural.[20]
Agriculture is the highest employing economic sector in the city, with about 36% of the population employed in the sector[21] and about 44% of households in the city producing crops and/or raisinglivestock. About 48%, or less than half of the city, is considered to befood secure, while the rest of the population experienced mild to severe food insecurity. Also, one in five households in Techiman experiences severe food insecurity.[21][22]: 8 [23]
A significant share of land used for agriculture is in the control of the government. Farming in the city has the purpose of improving land use, while in other cities in Ghana such asTamale, farming is motivated by commercial gains and consumption of goods.[22]: 14, 15
The majority of traders are located in Techiman market, which had seen increased marketing of food items primarily contributed to its female traders. Most of the city's economic activity is situated in the market, where it is a centre for the trading of food amenities such asplantains,cassava,grains, andyams, which is what the Techiman market is renowned for. The market, one of the largest in the country and in West Africa,[24][21] provides 70% of the metropolitan's revenues in the city.[25] Overall, prices at the market during non-drought years are more variable than the prices inBolgatanga andCape Coast(see§ Climate, above), which places the city in a good position to stabilize prices through internal trade.[26]
Agrico Hub, aNGO which empowers young people to utilize digital media for innovation, partnered up with Ghana Tech Lab to organized a six-week digital media start-up summit in Techiman in 2021.[27] Another NGO, the Rural Initiators and Motivators Development Association (RIMDA), has a branch in Techiman which specializes in social development of rural and deprived urban dwellers.[28]
Techiman is home to three football clubs:Techiman Eleven Wonders,Ampem Darkoa Ladies F.C., andTechiman City FC. All three teams play at theOhene Ameyaw Stadium,[29][30][31] although the Techiman Eleven Wonders were banned from playing in the stadium for the2020–21 Ghana Premier League season due to concerns related to the virusCOVID-19.[32]
Techiman is home to theTechiman Senior High School, established on 1 November 1963 as a part of Kwame Nkrumah'sGhana Education Trust Fund with support from thenOmanhene of Techiman, Nana Kwakye Ameyaw II.[33]
Healthcare in Techiman is administered by the Regional Health Directorate (RHD), directed by Dr. Fred Adomako. The lead hospital in the region is the Techiman Holy Family Hospital, established in 1954 by theMedical Mission Sisters owned and operated by theDiocese of Techiman.[34][35] The city has one of the bestNational Health Insurance Schemes in the country, with the Meli-med Clinic and the Techiman Health Centre awarded the best clinic and the latter as the best health centre.[36]
Techiman is an all-around bustling commercial centre, due totrunk roads from Sunyani,Kumasi,Wa and Tamale all meeting at the city.[17] The main road passing through Techiman is theN10. Due to the good state that the road is in, trade between the cities of Bolgatanga, Tamale, and Kumasi is high.[37]
Techiman, in partnership with nearbySunyani, currently has asister city relationship with:
Tuscaloosa,Alabama (2011)[38]
Media related toTechiman, Ghana at Wikimedia Commons7°35′00″N1°56′10″W / 7.58333°N 1.93611°W /7.58333; -1.93611
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