Volta Region 

Last Updated: May 24, 2025By

Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana‘s sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital.[4][5] It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi-ethnic [6] and multilingual, including groups such as the Ewe, the Guan, and the Akan people. The Guan peoples include the LolobiLikpeAkpafuAkyodeBuemNyagbo[usurped], Avatime, and Nkonya.[citation needed] This region was carved out of the Volta Region in December 2018 by the New Patriotic Party. The people of the Volta Region are popularly known as Voltarians (FrenchVoltaiens).[7] This group includes the Ewes, Guans and other minor tribes living in the Volta Region.[citation needed] The people of the Volta Region are popular known for their rich cultural display and music some of which include AgbadzaBorborbor and Zigi.[citation needed]

Background

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British Togoland in pale green (French Togoland in pale purple)

Further information: British TogolandFrench TogolandGerman Togoland, and Togo

The Volta region was formed by the state union of the former British Togoland which had been part of the German protectorate of Togoland. It was administered as part of the Gold Coast by the British[8] and later renamed Trans-Volta Togoland.[citation needed]

Demographics

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The native and largest ethnic group of the Volta Region (Togoland / British Togoland) are the Ewe people (68.5% of the population). They consist of several subgroups such as the Anlo Ewe, Tongu Ewe, Wedome Ewe, Ave Ewe and Avenor Ewe. Other ethnicities include the Guan people (forming 9.2% of the population), the Akan people (8.5%), and the Gurma people (6.5% of the population).[9] The main languages of the region are Ewe and French.

Administration

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The Volta region is run by a Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and a District Assembly. The RCC is made up of the Volta Regional Minister who is the political head and his deputy as well as representatives of the Regional House of Chiefs, the District Chief Executives of the Volta region, the Presiding Members of the 12 Districts Assemblies and representatives of the various decentralized Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the Volta region. Each district is run by a District Assembly.[10]

Regional Commissioners and Ministers

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Main article: Volta Regional Minister

The current Regional Minister, James Gunu was appointed in January 2025.[11]

Administrative divisions

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Before the regional demarcation in December 2018,[12] the region had 25 MMDA’s (made up of 0 Metropolitan, 5 Municipal and 20 Ordinary Assemblies) with all the administrative changes as of December 2012.[13] After the census, the Oti Region was carved out of it, reducing the size of the region and the number of administrative districts to 18.

The political administration of the region is through the local government system. Under this administration system, the region is divided into 18 MMDA’s (made up of 0 Metropolitan, 6 Municipal and 12 Ordinary Assemblies). Each District, Municipal or Metropolitan 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:

Districts of the Volta Region
#MMDA NameCapitalMMDA TypeChief ExecutiveStart DateConstituencyMember of ParliamentParty
1AdakluAdaklu WayaOrdinaryKadey Phanel Donkoh1 June 2017[14]AdakluKwame Governs AgbodzaNDC
2Afadjato SouthVe GolokwatiOrdinaryJames Etornam Flolu1 June 2017[15]Afadjato SouthAngela Oforiwa Alorwu-TayNDC
3Agotime-ZiopeKpetoeOrdinaryJohn Kwaku Amanya1 June 2017[16]Agotime-ZiopeCharles Akwasi AgbeveNDC
4Akatsi NorthAve-DakpaOrdinaryPrince Sodoke Amuzu1 June 2017[17]Akatsi NorthPeter Kwasi Nortsu-KotoeNDC
5Akatsi SouthAkatsiOrdinaryLeonelson Adzidogah1 June 2017[18]Akatsi SouthBernard AhiaforNDC
6AnlogaAnlogaMunicipalSeth Yormewu15 May 2018[19]AnloRichard Kwami SefeNDC
7Central TonguAdidomeOrdinaryThomas Moore Zonyarah1 June 2017[20]Central TonguAlexander Roosevelt HottordzeNDC
8HoHoMunicipalProsper Kofi Pi-Bansah1 June 2017[21]Ho CentralRichmond Edem Kofi Kpotosu[22]NDC
9Ho WestDzolokpuitaOrdinaryErnest Victor Apau1 June 2017[23]Ho WestEmmanuel Kwasi BedzrahNDC
10HohoeHohoeMunicipalAndrews Teddy Ofori1 June 2017[24]HohoeThomas Worlanyo Tsekpo[25]NDC
11KetaKetaMunicipalGodwin Edudji Effah1 June 2017[26]KetaKwame Dzudzorli GakpeyNDC
12Ketu NorthDzodzeMunicipalAnthony Avogbedor1 June 2017[27]Ketu NorthEric Edem Agbana[28]NDC
13Ketu SouthDenuMunicipalEdem Elliot Agbewornu1 June 2017[29]Ketu SouthDzifa Abla GomashieNDC
14KpandoKpanduMunicipalErnest Theophilus Quist1 June 2017[30]KpandoSebastian Fred DehNDC
15North DayiAnfoegaOrdinaryKudjo Edmund Attah1 June 2017[31]North DayiJoycelyn TettehNDC
16North TonguBattor DugameOrdinaryRichard Collins Arku7 January 2017[32]North TonguSamuel Okudzeto AblakwaNDC
17South DayiKpeve New TownOrdinaryErnest Patrick Mallet1 June 2017[33]South DayiRockson-Nelson Kwami DafeamekporNDC
18South TonguSogakopeOrdinaryEmmanuel Louis Agama1 June 2017[34]South TonguMaxwell Kwame LukutorNDC

The following districts are now within the boundaries of the Oti Region which was formally created on 15 February 2019.[35]

#MMDA NameCapitalMMDA TypeChief Executive
1BiakoyeNkonya AhenkroOrdinaryComfort Attah
2JasikanJasikanOrdinaryLawrence Aziale
3KadjebiKadjebiOrdinaryMichael Kofi Asiedu
4Krachi EastDambaiMunicipalPatrick Jilima
5Krachi NchumuruChindiriOrdinaryAugustine Appiah
6Krachi WestKete KrachiOrdinaryDouglas Osei-Nti
7Nkwanta NorthKpassaOrdinaryJakayi Jackson
8Nkwanta SouthNkwantaOrdinaryJohn Tarsun

Constituencies

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There are 18 constituencies in the region after the Oti Region was carved out of it. Previously, Volta Region had 19 constituencies in the election in December 2000 and 24 constituencies in December 2004 parliamentary election. Four new constituencies were created by the Electoral Commission prior to the December 2012 parliamentary election, increasing the number of constituencies to 26.[36][37]

Education

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Universities

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Nurses’ Training and Colleges of Education

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Senior High Schools

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Health

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See also: List of hospitals in the Volta Region

The Volta Regional Hospital is located at Ho. It is popularly referred to as Trafalgar. The inception of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) at Ho has led to it being redesignated as the Ho Teaching Hospital in 2019.[38][39] Other government run health facilities in the capital are the Ho Municipal Hospital and the Ho Polyclinic. Hospitals in the region include:

DistrictLocationHospital
Akatsi SouthAkatsiAkatsi District Hospital
St. Paul’s Hospital
Ho MunicipalHoHo Teaching Hospital
Ho Municipal Hospital
Ho Polyclinic
Hohoe MunicipalHohoeHohoe Municipal Hospital
Keta MunicipalAborSacred Heart Hospital
KetaKeta Government Hospital
Ketu South MunicipalAflaoKetu South Municipal Hospital
Kpando MunicipalKpandoMargaret Marquart Catholic Hospital
North DayiAnfoegaAnfoega Catholic Hospital
North TonguAdidomeAdidome Hospital
BattorCatholic Hospital
South DayiPekiPeki Government Hospital
South TonguSogakopeSogakope District Hospital

Togoland Congress

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Main article: Togoland Congress

The Togoland Congress (TCP) was a political party formed in 1951 to campaign for the unification of the Ewe people in British Togoland and French Togoland as a separate Ewe state. The party was defeated in the May 1956 UN plebiscite in British Togoland, which resulted in the unification of British Trans-Volta Togoland with Gold Coast, which later became independent as Ghana.[40][41][42]

On 9 May 1956, a vote was conducted to decide the future disposition of British Togoland and French Togoland. The native and dominant ethnic group, the Ewe people, were divided between the two Togos. British Togoland inhabitants voted in favor of state union with the Gold Coast, and the Togo Ewe state was incorporated with Gold Coast.[43][44]

There was vocal opposition to the incorporation of Togoland into modern Ghana, from the Ewe people who voted (42%) against in British Togoland, as the Ewe wanted the unification of the Ewe people in British Togoland and French Togoland as a separate Ewe state (modern Togo).[45][46]

Recently, a campaign for the cessation of some part of the Volta Region from Ghana to be known as “Western Togoland” is being led by a group calling itself Homeland Study Group Foundation. The group is led by Charles Kormi Kudzodzi.[47][48][49][50][51][52][53]

Tourism

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Theora video of Tagbo Falls in HohoeHohoe Municipal, Volta region.

Aerial view from the north of the Adomi Bridge

Recreation areas

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Mountains

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Other Tourist Attractions

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Notable citizens

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#CitizenSettlement
1Erica NegoHo
2Jerry RawlingsKeta
3Kofi AwoonorWheta
4Peter BossmanHo
5Prof. A.C. KumaLeklebi
6Ave KludzeHohoe
7Fiifi Fiavi KweteyNogokpo
8Dzifa AtivorAbutia
9Ephraim AmuAbenase
10Komla DumorAflao
11Togbe Afede XIVHo
12StonebwoyAlakple
13Mz VeeDzodze
14John DumeloHohoe
15Philip GbehoVodza
16Kofi AdjorloloKlikor
17EdemDzodze
18John Peter AmewuHohoe
19Esther OclooPeki
20Joseph Edward MichelAtikpui
21Emmanuel KotokaFiaxor
22Anthony Deku
23J. W. K. Harlley
24Courage QuashigahKedzi
25Harry DumashieDzelukope
26Kojo Tsikata
27Tsatsu Tsikata
28Mac SarbahMepe

References

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  1. ^ “Mahama swears-in third batch of 14 new ministers”ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
  2. ^ “Mahama swears in third batch of Ministers – MyJoyOnline”www.myjoyonline.com. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
  3. ^ “Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab”hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  4. ^ “Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana”GhanaDistricts. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  5. ^ “VOLTA REGION”Visit Ghana. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  6. ^ “One District One Factory (1D1F)”1district1factory Government of Ghana. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  7. ^ Zobah, Theresa Ngmenmaaloo; Adenutsi, Caspar Daniel; Amedjoe, Godfrey Chiri; Wilson, Matthew Coffie; Boateng, Cyril Dziedzorm; Quaye, Jonathan Atuquaye; Erzuah, Samuel; Wang, Lian; Zhao, Guoxiang; Karimaie, Hassan; Danuor, Sylvester Kojo (November 2022). “A review on the provenance of the Voltaian Basin, Ghana: Implications for hydrocarbon prospectivity”Scientific African18: e01429. Bibcode:2022SciAf..1801429Zdoi:10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01429.
  8. ^ Beigbeder, Yves (1994). International Monitoring of Plebiscites, Referenda and National Elections: Self-Determination and Transition to Democracy. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-7923-2563-5.
  9. ^ “Volta”. Government of Ghana. Retrieved 2015-05-03.
  10. ^ “Volta Region – political administration”. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  11. ^ “Regional Ministers Approved”. Ghana Web. 18 February 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  12. ^ Kaledzi, Isaac (26 June 2019). “Ghana: Six new regions created after a referendum”Africa Needs. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  13. ^ “BREAK DOWN OF METROPOLITAN, MUNICIPAL AND DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES”. GhanaDistricts. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  14. ^ “Adaklu District Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  15. ^ “Afadjato District Assembly Leaders”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  16. ^ “Agotime Ziope District Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  17. ^ “Akatsi North District Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  18. ^ “Akatsi South District”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  19. ^ “Anloga District Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  20. ^ “Central Tongu”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  21. ^ “Ho Municipal Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  22. ^ Asare, Fred Quame (8 December 2024). “I commit to working hard as MP – Ho Central MP-elect – MyJoyOnline”www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  23. ^ “Ho West District Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  24. ^ “Hohoe Municipal Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  25. ^ “Amewu Loses NPP’s Only Seat In Volta”DailyGuide Network. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  26. ^ “Keta Municipal”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  27. ^ “Ketu North Municipal Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  28. ^ “Parliamentary Results for Ketu North”ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  29. ^ “Ketu South Municipal Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  30. ^ “Kpando Municipal Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  31. ^ “North Dayi District Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  32. ^ “North Tongu District Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  33. ^ “South Dayi District Assembly”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  34. ^ “South Tongu District”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  35. ^ “Oti Region”. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  36. ^ 2012 parliamentary electionMyJoyOnline.
  37. ^ “EC Creates 45 New Constituencies”Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  38. ^ “Ho Teaching Hospital Inaugurated”University of Health and Allied Sciences. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  39. ^ “Volta Regional Hospital now Ho Teaching Hospital”Ministry Of Health. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  40. ^ Daniel Miles McFarland, Historical Dictionary of Ghana, 1985, p. 173
  41. ^ “Opinion: History of Trans Volta Togoland”MyJoyOnline. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  42. ^ “On Dec. 13, 1946: British Togoland Trusteeship approved by the United Nations”Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  43. ^ “5. British Gold Coast/Togoland (1946-1957)”uca.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  44. ^ “British Togoland Mandate”British Empire. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  45. ^ McLaughlin, James L.; Owusu-Ansah, David (1995). “The Politics of the Independence Movements”. In Berry, LaVerle Bennette (ed.). Ghana: A Country Study. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 26–30. ISBN 978-0-8444-0835-4LCCN 95018891DTIC ADA302332.
  46. ^ Brown, David (December 1980). “Borderline Politics in Ghana: the National Liberation Movement of Western Togoland”. The Journal of Modern African Studies18 (4): 575–609. doi:10.1017/S0022278X00014750.
  47. ^ “Court denies 10 members of Western Togoland movement bail”GhanaNewsSummary. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  48. ^ AfricaNews (2019-05-16). “Ghana keen on crashing ‘Western Togoland’ separatist dream”Africanews. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  49. ^ Vorsah, Sabina (2019-11-20). “JUST IN: Ghana’s Secret Agenda Against Western Togoland, Also Known British Togoland Exposed”Ghananewsonline. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  50. ^ “3 symbols of Independence-seeking Western Togoland”Pulse Gh. 2019-05-09. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  51. ^ Skinner, Kate (2015). The Fruits of Freedom in British Togolanddoi:10.1017/CBO9781139870573ISBN 978-1-139-87057-3.[page needed]
  52. ^ “Yeboah Benjamin writes: Trans Volta Togoland”NewsGhana. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  53. ^ “Sharp facts about ‘Western Togoland'”BBC News Pidgin. 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2020-02-07.

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