KETA HISTORY PROFILE

Location:
The Keta District is one of the 15 administrative districts in the Volta Region; It is located in the South Eastern Ghana.  It shares borders with the Ketu, Akatsi and South Tongu Districts of the Volta Region as well as the Dangbe East District of the Greater Accra Region.The District takes its name from the historical town of Keta which is also it’s capital.  It is the home of the Anlos, a sub-group of the Ewe ethnic group that spans the three West African countries of Ghana, Togo and Benin.It has a total land surface of 1086 km2, about a third of which is covered by water bodies.  These are the Keta lagoon (one of the largest lagoon in West Africa ) Angor, Avu, Logui, Nuyi and Klomi lagoons.

Climate:
The district falls within the Dry Central Equatorial Climate with an average temperature of about 30o C and an annual average rainfall of less than 1000mm.  The District is one of the driest along the coasts of Ghana.  The high average temperature is about 30 0 C with low relative humidities which promote high evaporation-transpiration and also exacerbates the general water deficient conditions.

Vegetation:
The entire district falls within the coastal savanna zone.  However, 5 vegetation zones can be identified.  The northern part of the district is marked by tall grasses and interspersed by medium size trees.  The mid section of the district is covered with short grasses and short trees.  The southwestern part is characterized by mangrove plants along the Volta estuary and tall grasses used for fuel.  The South-eastern part is characterized by short grasses and many neam trees.

Soil Characteristics and crop suitability:
The district is characterized by different types of soils.  These, located along the  coastal strip are Oyibi-Muni and Keta Associations characterized by loamy soil often without any top layer of humus which is good for coconut cultivation.  When manure is applied, it is good for shallot, okro, pepper and other vegetable crops. Other soil types are the Ada-Oyibi Association which is also suitable for sugar-cane cultivation. The Toje-Alajo Association which covers the Northern plains is relatively deep and support crops like cassava, maize and legumes.

Demographic-Characteristics:
Keta District Population has been growing at a relatively low rate of 0.5 per cent since 1970.  The population Census held in 2000 puts the total population of the district at 133,661.


CURRENT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Agriculture :
Keta District is mainly an agricultural District, with the majority of about (80.6 %) of the population engaged in crop farming, livestock keeping, fishing and other related trading activities. Vegetables are the main crops grown under irrigation of the flood plains along the coast.

Industries:
A wide range of industrial activities are carried out by the people.  All the industries are small scale and are owned and managed mainly by sole proprietors.  This sector employs about 13.0 per cent of the labour force of the district and constitutes seven primary sources of livelihood

Categories:
Depending on raw material base and production orientation, the  industrial activities in the district have been grouped as follows:
  Agro based Industries. These include fish processing, cassava processing, sugar cane juice distilling      and coconut-oil extraction
   Mining – Salt mining.
   Wood Base-Carpentry, Standing brooms.
   Textile – Kente weaving, Tailoring/Dressmaking
   Straw weaving- straw mat weaving (ketsiba), Pouch weaving (Kevi)
   Services – hairdressing, vehicle repairer/fitting mechanics, blacksmith, radio/TV repairs, masons. etc.

TOURISM:
The Keta District is very rich in tourist attractions which are both natural and cultural.Tourist attractions in the district range from the historical, social, economic, religious to the ecological.  The ruins of Fort Prinzenstein at Keta  is a testimony of the district’s early contacts with European traders.The Atorkor Slave Market testified to the Slave Trade activities in the Volta Region.Other tourist attractions are the water bodies, mangrove swamps, sandy beaches, shrines, visitors’ receptive facilities such as hotels and guest houses.


INFRASTRUCTURE DISTRIBUTION
In TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE, Keta District is one of the best endowed in the Volta Region. Examples are:

Health:
There are 21 health facilities in the district. These range from health centers to a district hospital. The Keta district Hospital for a long time remained the most patronized hospital in the Southern Volta Region and continues to enjoy this status, especially the Eye Clinic Department. In addition is the Weme Catholic Hospital at Abor.

Education:
This is one area that the district has been well noted for over the years, as it has been the center of learning for most Ghanaians. There are 9 senior secondary schools, 2 senior technical secondary schools, 1 technical institute, 62 JSS, 107 Primary Schools, and 416 Kindergartens which all make up the number of educational facilities in the district.

Utilities:
The Keta District is connected to the national electricity grid and therefore enjoys 24 hours of electricity supply.  Water is another utility that has seen improvement in the qualities and delivery by Danida Water and Sanitation Agency and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL). In the area of Telecommunications, there is a remarkable improvement in telecommunication facilities; both fixed lines as well as mobile network and internet services through which the district can be reached from anywhere in  the world. The district also has banking as well as postal services.


ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOCUS

AGRICULTURAL :
Resource : shrimps and brackish water species, Marine fishing inland fishing
Location :  Keta lagoon, Angaw lagoon.
Potential : It could be developed for both local consumption and for export.
Resource : soils (Toje-Alajo, Amo Tefle, Ava-OYIBI, Keta Association )
Location : Keta
Potential : These soils are suitable for sugar cane, cassava, vegetable, cashew, coconut, tobacco and maize cultivation.  Ada Oyibi soil is suitable for pasture and livestock and diary farming.

INDUSTRIAL :
Resource:  Clay deposit
Location :  Bomigo
Potential : There is a large unexploited clay deposit  ( about 15 million tons) in the Bomigo area, which if harnessed, could lead to a brick and tiles as well as ceramic factory.
Resource: Salt winning.
Location: Coastal Stretch of the District from Savietula to Afiadenyigba
Potential : Needs revamping both technically and financially.  It can further be exploited for the establishment of chemical industries by private sector participation with the District Assembly’s support.
Resource: Crude oil.
Location :  Keta Basin Coastal offshore (Anyako)
Potential: Needs government intervention for further study and exploration.
Resource : Kente weaving
Location : Asadame, Tsiame; Sasieme, Norlopi-Aborlorve; Afiadenyigba, Anloga.
Potential: Can be produced for local textile and tourist industries and for export.
Resource: Sugar cane.
Location : Hatorgodo, Tsiame, Atiavi.
Potential: Source of raw material for the paper industry, local gin-distillers.
Resource: Stone Quarry Project At Matsrikasa
Location: Matsrikasa
Potential : This is a commercial project for the West African sub-region.  Road construction and other building projects are very expensive due to lack  of easily accessible quarry in the Southern districts of the region.
Resource:  Dredger
Location:  Keta  ( Sea Defence Project Site)
Potential: Development of improved shrimps cultivation for large scale exports. The sand won from the lagoon bed could be used as a sand bank for land reclamation and also for constructional purposes.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT FOCUS OF THE DISTRICT
To a large extent, the major physical infrastructural projects which are currently on-going or planned for by the District and the Central Governments which are to have positive impact and bearing on the local economy and for that matter the economic development of the District are as follow;