Akim Oda

Akim Oda
Akyem Oda
Town

Birim Central Municipal District logo
Akim Oda
Location of Akim Oda in Eastern Region, Ghana
Coordinates: 5°55′30″N 0°58′56″W / 5.924969°N 0.982161°W / 5.924969; -0.982161Coordinates: 5°55′30″N 0°58′56″W / 5.924969°N 0.982161°W / 5.924969; -0.982161
Region Eastern Region
District Birim Central Municipal
Population (2013)
 • Total 60,604[1]
Time zone GMT
 • Summer (DST) GMT

Akim Oda is a town in south Ghana and is the capital of the Birim Central Municipal District, a district in the Eastern Region of south Ghana. In 2013, Akim Oda had a settlement population of 60,604 people.[1]

Geography and climate

Akim Oda lies in hilly country of south Ghana with rain forest vegetation in the Birim River basin.[2]

The climate of Akim Oda is semi-equatorial and wet with significant precipitation during the rainy season from April to June and again in September to November. A dry period is experienced between December to February.

The Akyem Kotoku traditional area is very cold during the month of December to February from dawn to dusk and is such a beautiful place to enjoy the Christmas holidays as many outdoors and street carnivals is held in the town during this season.

Economy

Agriculture

Cocoa is an important part of the Akim Oda economy, including plantations and casual plantings along roadsides. The crop is dried and stored in warehouses for shipment. There are several small palm oil farms to the north of the Birim river, covering about 6,000 hectares. Byproducts from the palm-oil mills are used in soap-making. Bamboo is another useful and fast-growing crop that grown in Akim Oda, and also a strong and inexpensive material used for furniture and construction.[2]

Mining

The Akim Oda Bank (geography) of the Birim river are rich in both gold and diamonds, extracted locally through artisanal mining processes.[2]

Forestry

The Akim Oda forests contain valuable trees, and there is some lumbering. The total forest area of Ghana (for which Akim Oda forms part) dropped from 8.2 million hectares around 1900 to 1.6 million hectares by the year 2000, and continues to decline rapidly due to demand both for exports and for construction by the growing Ghanaian economy. Forest plantations are being introduced near Akim Oda (and throughout the entire country under the National Forest Plantation Development Programme) and may help to reverse the decline.[3]

Tourism

Akim Oda has keenly developed tourism, with attractions that include dug-out boat tours to view the Akim Oda mining operations, traditional ceremonies usually including impressive drumming performances with the Akan drum, the biggest tree in West Africa at 12 meters in circumference (diameter = 3.8m) and 66.5 meters tall and a bustling outdoor market.[2] The exotic and tasty local Ghanaian food may also be an important attraction.[4]

Health care

The Akim Oda Government Hospital is the only public health care provider in the town of Akim Oda which serves the Kotoku traditional area and also serves as a referral point for the adjourning communities in the Akyem states near Akim Oda .

Other major private clinics such as jubilee hospital and Oda Community hospital and others also provide health care to the inhabitants of the Akyem Kotoku, Bosome and part of the Abuakwa traditional area.

Education

The Kotoku traditional area can boost of several public and private educational institutions in the state. There are over fifteen(15) public primary and Junior High School and three(3) major public Senior High School namely Oda Senior High School, St. Francis Senior High Technical School and Attafuah Senior High Technical all within the Kotoku traditional area.

The Kotoku state can boost of over 20 competitive private schools of which over the years have produced prominent personalities across the country, notably among them are Hecta International School, Joduro International, A.E.A. Memorial Academy. Benaga Star Academy, Child Evangelism etc. and also private Senior High such as Akim State College, A.E.A. and others are also thriving in the areas of education.

Social political and media coverage

Akim Oda currently have four major radio stations which serve the Akyem states and the country as a whole and help shape social, economic and political issues in the Akyem states and the country at large.

References

  1. 1 2 "World Gazetteer online". World-gazetteer.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-11.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Old Town, Akim Oda". University of Georgia. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  3. ↑ "Forest Plantation Development Workshop held at Oda". 2008-10-30. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  4. ↑ "Local food festival ends at Akyem". 2007-04-10. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
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