Sekondi-Takoradi ( ) is a city in

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

comprising the

twin cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...

of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan District and the Western Region of

. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city as well as an industrial and commercial center with a population of 245,382 people, according to the 2021 census. Since 2021 the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of the city and the metropolitan area has been Abdul-Mumin Issah. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah is the current member of parliament for Takoradi and Armah Blay Nyameke for Sekondi. Both cities grew from Dutch and English forts built around the 17th century. After a railway and a deepwater

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manc ...

was built in Sekondi and Takoradi in 1903 and 1928, both cities became important economic sectors in Ghana. They merged in 1946. Leading industries in the city are

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

, cocoa processing,

plywood Plywood is a composite material manufactured from thin layers, or "plies", of wood veneer that have been stacked and glued together. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured boards, which include plywood, medium-density fibreboa ...

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

, its

harbour A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be Mooring, moored. The t ...

and railway repair, and recently, sweet crude oil and

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

. The most common occupation in Sekondi-Takoradi is

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

. Sekondi-Takoradi lies on the main

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

lines to

Kumasi Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country, with a population of 443,981 as of the 2021 census. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region ...

History

Etymology

''Sekondi'' is a name derived from the

Old Prussian Old Prussian is an extinct West Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European languages, which was once spoken by the Old Prussians, the Baltic peoples of the Prussian region. The language is called Old Prussian to av ...

word " Taccarary", which meant "second" after the settlement was chosen as the second location for a shallow water harbour. The origins of ''Takoradi'' is conflicted but in one account it is a combination of the Portuguese word "taccarada" or "Taccarary" (Old Prussian) and an Ahanta word "ntakor".

Early settlement

Sekondi, the older and larger of the two towns, was the site of

Fort Orange Fort Orange () was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland; the present-day city and state capital Albany, New York developed near this site. It was built in 1624 as a replacement for Fort Nassau, which had been built on n ...

, Fort Witsen, and Fort Sekondi, all built in the 17th century by the Dutch. During this time, there was a huge

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and Dutch influence in the town to the point where there was two political divisions: “Dutch Sekondi” and “British Sekondi”. Both collapsed after the Dutch left in 1872. The town prospered from a railroad built in 1903 to transport

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

and timber resources from the

hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning the 'land behind' a city, a port, or similar. Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated wi ...

. In 1928, Ghana's first deepwater

was built in Takoradi.

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, RAF Takoradi was an important staging point for

aircraft destined for

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. Spitfire fighter planes were shipped in crates from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

to Takoradi where they were assembled and then flown via

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

and

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

. 26 Squadron SAAF was also based in Takoradi during the conflict, flying anti-submarine and convoy protection patrols over the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

. Some

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n airmen are buried in the Takoradi European Public cemetery.

20th century to present

Both cities amalgamated on 2 December 1946. On 20 November 1969, the city became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sekondi–Takoradi.

Economy

The National Archives UK - CO 1069-37-18

The city is an important commercial center in Ghana with an

industrialized Industrialisation ( UK) or industrialization ( US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive reorganisation of an economy for the ...

economy. Its location on the coast makes it an essential hub for fishing and trading activities. The Albert Bosomtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour, located in Sekondi. It is one of the largest fishing ports in the region. Historically it was a center for the timber and cocoa industries as these resources were transported into the city for export. The

Takoradi Harbour The Takoradi Harbour is a harbour located in the Western region of Ghana. It is located in the industrial district of Sekondi-Takoradi and is the oldest harbour in Ghana. The Takoradi harbour, along with the Tema Harbour, are the only harbours in ...

and the Takoradi Market Circle are also an important sector in the city's economy. The discovery of oil in the region in 2010 have resulted in Sekondi-Takoradi to be known as the "Oil City".

Administration

The city has a mayor–council form of government. The mayor (executive chief) is appointed by the

president of Ghana The president of the Republic of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana, as well as commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The current president of Ghana is John Mahama, who won the 2024 presidential elect ...

and approved by the town council, the

Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly is one of the fourteen districts in Western Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan District in 1988, which was created from the former Sekondi Tako ...

. The current mayor as of 2021 is Hon. Abdul-Mumin Issah.

Demographics

The population of Sekondi-Takoradi is 245,382 people, a -37.5% difference from the last census. Close to all of Sekondi-Takoradi's population is Christian from which 34.7% are Pentecostal/Charismatic, 25.6% are Protestant, and 14.3% are Catholic with the remaining 11.8% comprising numerous minor denominations. About 9% of the population are Muslim, 3.5% identified as non-religious and 0.2% practice

traditional African religions The beliefs and practices of Demographics of Africa, African people are highly diverse, and include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral tradition, oral rath ...

while the remaining 0.6% practice other religions. The major people’s found in the city are the Fante followed by the Ahanta, Nzema, Asante and Wassa people.

Geography

Metropolitan area

Sekondi-Takoradi is located in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan, which covers a land area of . The metropolitan bordered the Ahanta West District to the west, the Shama District towards the east, the

Wassa East District Wassa East District is one of the fourteen districts in Western Region, Ghana. Originally it was formerly part of the then-larger Mpohor/Wassa East District in 1988, which was created from the former Wassa-Fiase-Mpohor District Council, until ...

to the north and the

Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea (French language, French: ''Golfe de Guinée''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Golfo de Guinea''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Golfo da Guiné'') is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez i ...

towards the south.

Climate

Sekondi-Takoradi has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Aw''), where it experiences a wet and dry season and the temperature being hot year-round. The average annual high is while the average annual low is . The hottest time of year is from January to May, around the time the wet season begins. The city receives a total amount of of rainfall throughout the year, with a distinct wet and dry season. The dry season is short, spanning from December to March while the wet season is between May and June. June, the wettest month, receives on average . The relative humidity in the city is small and also erratic at times due to influence of sea and land breezes. The highest humidity is experienced in August after the rainy season and is the lowest in December.

Flooding

Based on a 2017 study, Sekondi-Takoradi and the metro as a whole is prone to flooding due to its proximity to the Anankwari, Kansawura and Whin rivers. In 2009 and 2011, more than one thousand people went homeless after heavy rainfall caused the rivers to overflow their banks to the neighbouring communities.

Transportation

Sekondi is well-connected to other parts of

and neighboring countries through a network of roads and railways. The city's port is a vital transportation hub, with several shipping lines providing regular services to other

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

n countries and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. The Takoradi Airport (TDI), located about 5 km from Sekondi, provides air transportation to other parts of

and international destinations. There are public transport connections from Takoradi to major cities such as

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

;

; Mim;

Cape Coast Cape Coast is a city and the capital of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, Cape Coast Metropolitan District and the Central Region (Ghana), Central Region of Ghana, Ghana. It is located about from Sekondi-Takoradi and approximately from Ac ...

; Sunyani;

Tamale A tamale, in Spanish language, Spanish , is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of ''masa'', a dough made from nixtamalization, nixtamalized maize, corn, which is steaming, steamed in a corn husk or Banana leaf, banana leaves. The wrapping ...

;

Tema Tema is a city on the Bight of Benin and Atlantic coast of Ghana. It is located east of the capital city; Accra, in the region of Greater Accra, and is the capital of the Tema Metropolitan District. As of 2013, Tema is the eleventh most p ...

; Ho; Wa;

Bolgatanga Bolgatanga (Frafra language, Frafra: ''Bɔlegataŋa''), colloquially known as ''Bolga'', is a town and also the capital of the Bolgatanga Municipal District, Bolgatanga Municipal and the Upper East Region of Ghana. It shares a Burkina Faso–Gh ...

; Elubo; Aflao; and Techiman.

Culture

Sekondi-Takoradi has a rich cultural heritage, and the city is home to several landmarks and tourist attractions. Fort Sekondi and the local railway museum are some notable structures originated from the colonial era. The city also have notable

nightlife Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, ...

, with several pubs, restaurants and clubs popping out all across the city. Many annual

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

s are celebrated in the city, including the Ankos Festival and the Kundum Festival.

Banks

* United Bank For Africa Gh. Ltd. * Cal Bank * Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd.(GCB) * Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) * Standard Chartered Bank Gh. Ltd. (Stanchart) * Unibank Gh. Ltd. * Bank of Africa Gh. Ltd. * Social Security & National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) * Zenith Bank Gh. Ltd. * Prudential Bank Ltd. * Republic Bank

Healthcare

On 5 June 2024, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, commissioned a 60-bed capacity polyclinic in New Takoradi, an upgrade from the original facility which was a CHPS compound.

Education

The city has several secondary schools, colleges, and special schools. This is a list of

senior high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

s, and

universities A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

in the city: ;

Senior High School A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

s * St. John's School * Ghana Senior High Technical School * Baidoo Bonsoe Senior High Technical School * St. Mary's Boys' Senior High School * Methodist senior high school * Ahantaman Senior High School * Fijai Secondary School * Adiembra Secondary School *

Bompeh Senior High Technical School Bompeh Senior High Technical School is a senior high school located in Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana. History The school used to be one of the Axim Road Middle Schools. It was selected, expanded and developed into a junior ...

* Archbishop Porter Girls Secondary School ;

College A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

s/ Universities * Takoradi Technical University * Nurses and Midwifery Training College * Holy Child Teachers Training College * Sekondi College Takoradi Technical Institute houses a

fab lab A fab lab (''fabrication laboratory'') is a small-scale workshop offering (personal) digital fabrication. A fab lab is typically equipped with an array of flexible computer-controlled tools that cover several different length scales and variou ...

, equipped by the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT), which is the first of its kind in Africa. The Western Regional Library was established in Sekondi in 1955.

Sports

Sekondi-Takoradi is home to two stadiums, Essipong Stadium and Gyandu Park. Notable sports teams based in the city are FC Takoradi, Sekondi Hasaacas, and Sekondi Wise Fighters.

Media

There are about 114 internet service providers operating in the city along with over 150

FM radio FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting that uses frequency modulation (FM) of the radio broadcast carrier wave. Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to transmit high fidelity, high-f ...

stations and 20 TV stations in the city. All of these services help with inter-communication around the residents.

Sister cities

The following shows the cities Sekondi-Takoradi is twined with:

Notable people

* Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, musician *

Ben Bentil Benjamin Bentil (born March 29, 1995) is a Ghanaian professional basketball player for ASVEL Basket, LDLC ASVEL of the French LNB Élite and the EuroLeague. He played two seasons of college basketball for Providence Friars men's basketball, Provi ...

(born 1995), basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

* Esther Cobbah, communication specialist * Joseph Henry Smith, ambassador of Ghana to the United States * Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi, former Ghanaian diplomat, current presidential advisor on

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

at the Office of the President of Ghana * Shasha Marley, musician *

Kiki Gyan Kiki Gyan (7 June 1957 – 6 June 2004), also known as Kiki Djan, was a Ghanaian musician. He was the keyboardist of the band Osibisa which was popular in the 1970s. He also recorded and produced a series of disco records. He was a prodigy who co ...

, musician

Explanatory notes

References

External links

* * ** {{coord, 04, 55, N, 01, 46, W, display=title Populated places in the Western Region (Ghana) Regional capitals in Ghana