Akyemansa District Profile

THE PROFILE OF AKYEMANSA DISTRICT

Physical and Natural Environment
Location and Size

The Akyemansa District was carved out of the Birim North District Assembly in 2008 as part of the Government’s decentralization programme to promote effective decentralized governance and speed up the development of the area. The Akyemansa District is bordered by Birim North District to the north, the Asante Akyem South, Amansie East and Adansi South districts all in the Ashanti region to the west, Birim Central District to the south and Atiwa and Kwaebibirem districts to the east. The district has a very strategic location especially its capital Akyem Ofoase as it is situated among two major commercial towns and a mining town namely Oda, Nkawkaw and New Abirem respectively.

The district has about 96 communities with Akyem Ofoase as the administrative capital. It also has four (4) area councils namely; Ofoase, Ayerebi, Akokoaso and, Abenase and thirty-eight (38) Assembly members composed of Twenty six (26) elected and Twelve (12) appointed.

Relief and Drainage

The central part of the district comprising the area stretching from the North to the South of Ofoase, the district capital through Chia, Brenase, and Ayirebi to Otwereso in the south and Akokoaso in the east can be described as very low lying areas. This area rises to a maximum height of 61 metres. The area to the west of Brenase, Otwereso the eastern boundary of the district and the area stretching from Anyinase, Abenase and Adjobue to the southern end of the district has an elevation between 61 metres and 122 metres above sea level.

The district is mostly undulating and mountainous in nature. It is drained mainly by two great and historical rivers, the Pra and Birim Rivers. The Pra River serves as the boundary between the district and the two districts in the Ashanti Region, whiles the Birim River serves as the southern boundary of the district.

Climate Condition

The district lies within the wet semi-equatorial climatic zone that experiences substantial amounts of precipitation. It experiences a double maxima rainfall pattern. The first rainfall season starts from late March to early July and the second season is from mid-August to late October. The amount of rainfall received in the district is between 150cm and 200cm reaching its maximum during the two peak periods of May-June and September – October yearly. Temperatures range between an average minimum of 25.2 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 27.9 degrees Celsius. The district has a relative humidity of about 55-59 per cent throughout the year.

Vegetation

The district lies within the Semi-deciduous forest belt of Ghana comprising different species of economic trees. These trees are highly valuable for the timber industry. The district is home to 4 forest reserves. These reserves are; Nsuena forest reseve(14.4km sq), Pra-Birim forest reserve(6.0km sq), KwasiAnyinima forest reserve(1.7km sq). These forest reserves cover a total land area of about 22.4 square kilometres, about 4.9 percent of the total land area. The rapid expansion of the cocoa and oil palm industries in the district is changing the original forest into a secondary type. This type of vegetation with its associated undergrowth prevents the soil from erosion and adds humus to improve the soil’s fertility. This makes the soil rich in nutrients and supports crop production in the district. The vegetation is also home to many wild life species which provides protein to a portion of the population.

Demographic Characteristics
The Akyemansa District recorded a total population of 97,374 during the 2010 population and housing census. The population of the district constitutes 3.7 percent of the total population of the Eastern Region. Females constitute 50.7 percent and males 49.3 percent. The district is predominantly rural (65.1%) while urban localities constitute (34.9%). This implies that out of every 10 people in Akyemansa close to seven people reside in rural areas whilst three reside in the urban areas.

The 2010 PHC further indicates that about 52.0 percent of female reside in the urban areas compared to 48.0 percent of male while equal proportions (50%) of both sexes are in the rural localities. The sex ratio for the district is 97.2 males per 100 female. The urban localities have a sex ratio of 92.2 males per 100 females while the rural localities have a sex ratio of 100 which means that for every one male there is equally one female.The district has five main settlements, which has attained urban status namely Ofoase, Ayirebi, Abenase and Bontodiase Adjobue

Population Distribution by Age and Sex
The proportion of the females in the district is reported to be a little higher than that of the males. The females form about 50.7 percent of the entire district population. This is in line with both regional and national figures where the females form higher proportion of the population. Figure 1 show the age and sex structure of the district’s population. The population between the ages of 0-14 years constitutes 42.1 percent of the district’s population. Those within the active labour force (15-64 years) also represent about 52.2 percent of the population while the population 65 years and above forms 5.7 percent of the entire population.

Population Density

With a total area of 667.17 sq. km, the District’s population density in 1984 was 77 persons per sq. km. Based on the 2000 population figure of 71,534; the population density in 2000 was 107 persons per sq. km. According to the 2010 population of 97,374 the district’s population density is 146 people per square kilometre. The district is thus sparsely populated. Compared to the whole region, the district has a low population density than the average for the region reflecting the dominance of relatively small size settlements in the district. This crude population density figure indicates that the farmers in the district could have access to large tract of land to undertake their farming activities.

The population density has been increasing over the years which imply that with time, the land available for agricultural activities per head will reduce. This will reduce the size of farms and farmers may not be able to expand their farming activities. Also with the introduction of small scale mining activities in the district by “galamsey” operators, land degradation in the district is on an increasing trajectory. However land for agriculture is still substantial and there are no threats in the short to medium term. The District Administration in partnership with the Agricultural Directorate in the district should device new methods where by farmers can increase production and receive higher crop yield on their available farming plots without necessarily increasing their farm sizes.

Ethnicity and Religion

The Akyemansa District is heterogeneous in terms of ethnicity. The Akan’s who are mostly Akyems constitute about 75 percent of the entire population in the district. Other tribes such as the Ewes, Ga’s, Krobos and Guans and people of Northern Ghana origin constitute the remaining 25 percent of the population. The non-Akyems are sometimes land owners and traditional leaders in some communities in the district. One can therefore infer a less tendency towards ethnic conflict. There is therefore a high degree of homogeneity in cultural terms. This can therefore encourage consensus building and promote the development of the district.

With regard to religious beliefs, there are three main religions practiced by the people in the district. Christianity is the most dominant religion constituting 84.1 percent, Islam and traditional religion commands 6.3 percent and 0.7 percent respectively whilst 7.1 percent have no religion as shown in Figure 2. The large proportion of Christians in the district influences people’s values, interests and perceptions, which affect their choice and preference in society. There are also fewer tendencies for religious conflict due to the level of homogeneity.

This homogeneity brings about social cohesion and a high degree of tolerance. Moreover, these affiliations serve as good channels for information dissemination in the district, which can help to accelerate development. However, the level of ethnic and religious dominance by one ethnic and religious group may bring about marginalization of the minority groups. Therefore there is the need to reflect this aspect in the planning processes, so that the interest of the minorities is well catered for.

Population Distribution by Economic Activity

The district is dominated by the agricultural sector (Table 2.4). This sector employs about 73.5 percent of the working population. The proportion engaged in agriculture is high due to the fact that the district has a fertile soil which supports the cultivation of different types of crops, both cash and food crops. Also, the climatic conditions are favourable for crop production. This can also be attributed to the existence of big companies which process agricultural produce, especially palm nuts kernel into oil palm and also the existence of Agricultural Research Institutions both within the district and in adjacent and neighbouring districts. The existence of ready market for oil palm, cocoa and food stuff within and outside the district promotes agricultural activities in the district. The proportion of the active labour

Major Crops Grown, Farm Size and Crop Yield

The total area of land under cultivation in the district is about 45,124 hectares. This includes both the cultivation of cash and food crops. The total acreage of cash crops under cultivation in the district is about 65,098 hectares while the total land used in the cultivation of food crops is about 25,005 hectares. These cash crops include oil palm, cocoa and citrus. The food crops cultivated on large scale in the district are plantain, cassava, cocoyam, rice and vegetables. The various hectares of land used in cultivating the various crops are presented on table 8. Farming is generally done at a subsistence level with few exceptions in the case of those engaged in commercial farming. The average farm size for the district is estimated at 1.22 hectares. However, there are as many as 68 percent of families interviewed owning up to 3.25 hectares of farms. The farm sizes have a major effect on the income levels and poverty situations in the district as their output will be lower due to small farm holdings.

Extension Services

Extension services are undertaken in the district to assist local farmers in increasing food production, and to transfer improved technologies to farmers. The services provided by extension agents include the dissemination of improved technology to framers; provision of practical on-farm training demonstration on crops and participatory learning farmer field schools. They also assist farmers in forming groups. They also carry out farm monitoring and evaluation activities. The district is sub-divided into four zones and 32 operational areas which are manned by frontline staff. Currently, there are seventeen (17) officers in charge of these zones and operational areas. Each frontline staff is expected to contact farmers in a month for the transfer of technology in respect of crops, livestock/poultry, agro-forestry, home science and agro-chemicals. This gives an estimated extension officer/farmer ratio of 1:1500. This is very high in comparison with the national average of 1:300. The poor nature of roads coupled with inadequate means of transport and logistics are hindering the extension service delivery in the district. With agriculture being the backbone of the economy of the district for now, more extension officers should be provided by the Ministry of Agriculture in conjunction with the Akyemansa District Assembly to be able to improve upon the ratio.

Electricity
The District main sources of lighting are electricity (mains) which provides light to more than half (56.1%) of the total number of households in the district. Kerosene lamp (27.7%) and Flashlight/Torch (14.6%) are the next key sources of lighting for the people of the district. Other lighting sources such as generators, gas lamps, solar energy, candle, firewood, crop residue and other sources constitute 1.6 percent. Higher proportions of households in urban areas (74.5%) have electricity as compared to (45.8%) households in the rural areas. Electricity (mains) is however the main source of lighting for rural localities in the district. Being a largely rural district, kerosene lamp is also widely used by a little more than a quarter of households but mainly in the rural localities (31.2%) compared to urban localities (21.4%). A higher proportion of the households that use flashlight/torch lights are in the rural areas (21.2%) of the district compared to urban (2.9%) areas. The other sources of energy are used by very small proportions of households.

On the main source of cooking fuel by households, a total of 78.3 percent of households in the Akyemansa district use wood fuel for cooking. A sizeable percentage of households (11.7%) also use charcoal. Wood fuel and charcoal are therefore the two main sources of cooking fuel for households in the district accounting for over 90 percent of fuel for household cooking. Gas is used by a small proportion (3.6%) of households, despite Government effort to promote the use of gas; there are still several households in Ghana who do not use gas. Additionally negligible proportions of households in the district use electricity (0.3%) and kerosene (0.7%) for cooking.

v Posts and Telecommunication Facilities

There are no telephone lines currently servicing the population in the district. The district now has access to mobile telephone network with the availability of MTN, VODAFONE, and AIRTEL among other mobile telephone service. The postal system consists only of postal agencies, most of which are not functioning and one District Post Office thus giving an access rate of 15.6%. Delivery of mails is occasioned by long delays throughout the district. There are no delivery vans; hence there is irregular collection of mails from the nearest general post office at Nkawkaw, New Abirem and Oda.

v Financial Institutions

Currently, there are two financial institutions located in the district namely Akyemansa Rural Bank and Akim Bosome Rural Bank. The main service points are Ofoase, the district capital, Ayirebi and Akokoaso who are providing financial services to the farmers, businesses and individuals.

Income Distribution
High inequalities exist in the distribution of income in the district. Using the Lorenz Curve (See Figure 4). The Gini-concentration coefficient was found to be 0.51, indicating a high inequality in the distribution of income (figure 3). The upper 20 percent of the population controls about 65 percent of the entire household income in the district. It also revealed that the lower 25% of the population enjoyed about 8% of the income in the district. Currently, a large proportion of the low income group is found in the agriculture sector. Apart from improving income levels, there is the need to also ensure a fair distribution of income.

Social Services
The provision of social services is a basic necessity that every Assembly must ensure that its citizens have equal access to. It is described as a basic necessity in that without it human survival is virtually impossible. They include water, food, shelter, health and many others. Information on the availability of social services in the district has been presented below.

Educational Institutions
The Akyemansa educational institutions can be categorized into public and private. The institutions range from Kindergarten, Primary, JHS and SHS. From the table below, the total educational institutions number 333, with public covering 288 and private making up 45. It is the responsibility of the District Assembly to ensure that each child of school going age has access to free quality education. The effort of the private sector is also welcomed since to achieve greater result, government needs to partner with the private sector to improve on service delivery.

Specific Disease Control Activities
The District Disease Control Unit is an integral sector of the health service delivery in the area. The unit is responsible for control and prevention of diseases and much of it in the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), disease surveillance and health promotion education. The unit also sees to it that vaccines and logistics are always available in controlled quantities for equitable distribution to all the health facilities in the five sub-districts.

v Surveillance

With regards to disease surveillance, data on diseases were systematically collected, collated, analyzed, interpreted and disseminated for appropriate action. In all, 90 volunteers were involved at the community level and some assisted community health officers and CHPS zones. The volunteers were motivated by given bicycles around the middle of the year 2013.

v Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)

As far as EPI is concerned, many in successes were chalked in terms of coverage, except in TT2+ Non-Pregnant; however, the coverage has a corresponding effect on the control of vaccine preventable diseases. The district will continue to pursue strategies that will improve and sustain the coverage made on EPI.

Water and Sanitation
The Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit and the District Water and Sanitation Team ensures that at all times, the entire environment in the district is kept free from filth to avert communicable and other sanitation related diseases so that the inhabitants within the district will be healthy always to work and enhance productivity.

Waste Management

Availability and management of final disposal sites selection has been done in the four area councils in the district. Land has been acquired legally and sites are already been prepared by Zoom lion Ghana Limited for use at Ayirebi, Ofoase, Abenase, and Akokoaso respectively. The methods of solid waste disposal practiced include; crude dumping, burial and burning. Zoom lion Ghana Limited provided the District with 15 galvanized refuse tanks which were located within the various selected communities.There are two Enviro-Loo Public toilets in the district which are located at Akim Ofoase and Akim Ayirebi respectively. They are currently being on use.

Water situation

The availability of and accessibility to improved drinking water is an important feature in the health of households. The source of water supply particularly for drinking has a tremendous effect on the burden of diseases. For instance, one of the main health benefits of clean drinking water supply is a reduction in diarrhea. Water sources are often classified as ‘improved’ or ‘unimproved’: Sources considered as improved are piped, public water into homes, public standpipe, borehole, protected (lined) dug well, protected spring, and rainwater collection; unimproved are unprotected wells and springs, vendors, and tanker-trucks (WHO and UNICEF, 2000).

The main sources of household drinking water in the Akyemansa District are presented in Table 1.21. The data shows that, the main source of drinking water for the majority of the people of Ghana at both national and regional levels are the bore hole/pump/tube wells. This pattern is also observed in the Akyemansa District where more than half of households (59.1%) depend on bore holes, pumps and tube well as their main source of drinking water. Other important sources of water include protected well (17.7%), pipe-borne water outside the dwelling (6.8%), public tap or standpipe (5.9%), river or stream (4.2%) and sachet water (2.9%).