Tamale

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Tamale is a town situated in north-central Ghana, perched at an elevation of 600 feet (183 meters) above sea level on a plain located 22 miles (35 km) to the east of the White Volta River.

Characterized by its modern infrastructure and broad streets, Tamale plays a pivotal role as the administrative, financial, commercial, and transportation hub for the northern region of Ghana. Surrounded by densely populated villages, the town also serves as an educational centre, hosting various teacher-training colleges, secondary schools, and facilities for artisan training. The Vernacular Literature Bureau in Tamale contributes to mass literacy campaigns by providing newspapers and literature.

Tamale serves as a focal point for agricultural trade, boasting cotton-milling and shea-nut enterprises. The town is strategically positioned along the main road northward from Kumasi, with additional roads connecting it from the east and west. Tamale is accessible by air, thanks to its airport.

Since the mid-1970s, government assistance has prioritized initiatives such as road reconstruction, market expansion, industrial development, and sanitation improvements in Tamale. As of the year 2000, the population stood at 202,317, which increased to 371,351 by 2010.

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More about Tamale

ID
52208
Name
Tamale
State ID
51
State Code
NP
State Name
Northern
Country ID
83
Country Code
GH
Country Name
Ghana
Latitude
9.40079000
Longitude
-0.83930000
WikiData ID
Q7674984

Tamale (Dagbani: [ˈtamali]) is the capital city of the Northern Region of Ghana. It is Ghana's third largest city, with a population of 371,351 people (as of 2010).^: 67 The city has been ranked as the fastest-growing city in West Africa. Tamale is located in the Kingdom of Dagbon, Ghana's oldest Kingdom. Major ethnic groups who resided in Tamale are Dagomba, Gonja, Mamprusi, Akan, and Dagaaba.

The city grew from a small village to an important economic center in the Northern Territories after the British had established administrative headquarters in the area. It became the capital of the Northern Region in 1960.^{: 1, 2, 15} The biggest economic sector of Tamale is agriculture, followed by trading, teaching, and manufacturing.^: 42

Tamale boasts a thriving artistic and literary scene, evident in its numerous art studios, poets, and musicians. Numerous art studios are scattered throughout the urban landscape. Annual festivals are celebrated all around the city, such as fire festival, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid Adha and the Damba festival.^: 4, 5

History

Early settlement

The area of Tamale used to consist of small villages, which were under the kingdom of Dagbon. it was a popular destination of cattle trails in the region.^: 1 In 1907, the British decided to establish administrative headquarters in the area with help from the Dakpema after German officials have taken over Yendi. With the addition of a road in 1920, nicknamed the 'Great North Road', Tamale turned into an important center of business in the Northern Territories.^: 2

Throughout the 20th century, the population of Tamale was growing rapidly of people looking for abundant water supply and electricity. This have resulted in massive amounts of land used for infrastructure, threatening residents ability to farm. During this time, a series of disputes between the Gulkpe Na and the Dakpema for power in Tamale occurred. This is in part due to the British incorporated indirect rule in the town, resulting in the imbalance of power between the chiefs. Although local councils were introduced and indirect rule was discontinued, tension between the chiefs continues even to this day.

In 1960, Tamale became the capital of the Northern Region after the region had separated from the rest of the north.^: 15

21st century

Lamashegu shooting

On 13 February 2022 at approximately 1:00 p.m., Ghana Police officers clashed with youth in Lamashegu, a community in Tamale, due to them driving off after allegedly riding in an unregistered vehicle. This resulted in one person, Abdul Hakim Yakubu, being killed and 8 others getting injured.

Economy

Historically ruled by a rural agriculture system, Tamale's economy in recent times have diversified into many different sectors. Most of Tamale's population is employed in agriculture, although the common droughts in the region have threatened this sector. Other popular sectors including trading, teaching, and manufacturing. Even though the economy is considered diverse, Tamale suffers from a high unemployment rate and high rates of poverty. There is also a small amount of NGOs operating in the city.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, Tamale has a population of 371,351 people, a 60.6% increase from the last census.^: 67 The city is made up of many different ethnic groups with the majority being the Dagombas. Other groups who lived in the area include the Gonjas, Mamprusis, Akan, Dagaabas and other groups from the Upper East Region. 90.5% of the population are Muslims, followed by Christians, spiritualists and traditionalists.^: 35, 4

Administration

Although Tamale doesn't have a mayor on its own, the municipal has a mayor–council form of government. The mayor is appointed by the president of Ghana and approved by the town council, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly. Although, suggestions have been made by residents to increase accountability of the office by having the mayor elected. The current mayor of the municipality is Hon. Sule Salifu.

Culture

Tamale is home to a culture center which showcases arts and tribes from all over the region. The Dagomba people performed dances such as the Baamaya and Tora, with each having its own meaning behind it. Some annual festivals celebrated in the city are the fire festival, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid Adha and the Damba festival.^: 4, 5

Education

The first education institution in the city was a teacher training college in 1944 followed by a secondary school in 1951. Due to the British wanting to keep the Northern Territories strictly agricultural and pastoral, education growth in the city was hindered. Besides that, Tamale eventually became the educational hub of Northern Ghana.^: 67 Education Ridge, a suburb in Tamale, is known for being the location of multiple schools crammed into a small area of 3 km² (1.2 sq mi).

The following is a list of senior high schools, colleges, and universities in Tamale:

Transportation

Air

Tamale is served by Tamale International Airport. Located about 11 km (6 nmi; 7 mi) from downtown Tamale, the airport is mainly used by commercial airlines such as Africa World Airlines and Passion Air which are the only operational companies as of 2024. They run regular flights between Tamale and Accra's Kotoka International Airport, along with other regional capitals.

Rapid transport

There are public transports from Tamale to major cities such as Kumasi, Accra, Mim, Ahafo, Cape Coast, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tema, Ho, Wa, Bolgatanga, Elubo, Aflao, and Techiman. They are operated by Tamale's bus rapid transit system, tro-tro, MetroMass, STC Bus Lines, and other privately owned bus companies.^: 6

Buses and taxis

Taxis in the past used to be one of the most popular means of getting around Tamale for visitors to the town until the arrival of the tricycles, popularly called 'Mahama-Cambuu' or 'yellow-yellow'. It rise to popularity due to being cheaper than the taxi despite being more dangerous. The popular means of travel for locals however is by motorbike.^: 6 Motorbikes are the most used means of transport for the locals. In 2024, a record of 600,032 locals possess motorbikes. Another means of transport are huge buses such as intercity STC, VIP, VVIP among others and these buses are being used every day.

Geography

Metropolitan area

Tamale is located in Tamale Metropolitan District, which has an area of about 647 km² (250 sq mi). The district bordered the Sagnarigu District to the west and north, Mion District towards the east, East Gonja District to the south and the Central Gonja District towards the southwest.^: 1

Climate

Tamale has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). The metropolis usually only experiences one rainy season a year, effecting staple crop farming. During the rainy season, it comes with tiny sunshine with heavy thunderstorms.^: 3 The mean monthly rainfall is about 89 mm (3.5 in) within 95 days of rainfall in the form of tropical showers. The mean monthly temperatures is on average around 34 °C (93 °F) while the minimum monthly temperatures are around 23 °C (73 °F).^{: table 2} The relative humidity in the city is usually the lowest between December to March at 30% while around August it is the highest at 70%.^{: sec. 3.2.2}

Climate change

Climate change is threatening the livelihoods of Tamale residents due to droughts, floods, and heatwaves becoming more common. This hinders farmers ability to farm because they need consistent rainfall for their crops to survive. There are national policies and intervention from NGOs to make sure that the impact from climate change in the area is minimal.

Healthcare

The city is home to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, which helps to handle health related issues for the whole region. It is the 3rd largest hospital in the country. It also offers undergraduate and graduate programs in medicine, nursing, and nutrition.

Sports

Tamale is home to Real Tamale United along with other smaller clubs. They played at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium (formerly Tamale Sports Stadium), which was the location of some of the matches played during the 2008 African Cup of Nations. Due to the state of the stadium, FIFA and CAF have prevented international matches to be play at the facility.

Media

Since the 1970s, modern communication in Tamale is rapid with it being operated by 6 mobile telecommunication companies. There are 11 FM radio stations located in the city.^: 68

Sister cities

The following shows the cities that Tamale is twined with:

*Numbers in date column list the year of twinning.

Notable people

Mubarak Wakaso, professional footballer
Haruna Iddrisu, Member of Parliament for Tamale South and the former Minister for Employment and Labour Relations in Ghana, Minority leader of Parliament
Abdul Majeed Waris, professional footballer
Fancy Gadam, Afro-pop and dancehall artist
Mahamudu Bawumia, politician
Sheikh Bayan Basha, Islamic preacher
Alhassan Suhiyini, politician
Inusah Fuseini, politician
Alhassan Bashir Fuseini, politician
Mona 4Reall, Socialite, model, musician, and businesswoman
Maccasio, Hip hop, hip life artist and an entrepreneur
Ibrahim Mahama, artist