Northwest Ghana Research Articles

Response Bias over Time

This study investigates potential bias that may arise when surveys include question items for which multiple units are elicited. Examples of such items include questions about experiences with multiple health centers, comparison of different products, or the solicitation of egocentric network data. The larger the number of items asked about each named individual or location, the greater potential interviewer and respondent burden accrues to the naming of more names. Interviewers may be inclined to limit the number of names elicited to reduce the amount of time required to complete the interviews. We tested whether such bias occurred from data collected in northwest Ghana by contrasting group learning with individual learning. The results provided mixed evidence for both group and individual learning and stress the need to take actions such as increased training, change in incentives, and/or monitoring responses to guard against such results.

Multistage gold mineralization in the Wa-Lawra greenstone belt, NW Ghana: The Bepkong deposit

The Bepkong gold deposit is one of several gold camps in the Paleoproterozoic Wa-Lawra greenstone belt in northwest Ghana. These deposits lay along the Kunche-Atikpi shear zone, which is part of the larger transcurrent Jirapa shear zone. The formation of these shear zones can be attributed to the general ESE-WNW major shortening that took place in the Wa-Lawra belt. Gold mineralization in the Bepkong deposit mainly occurs within graphitic shales and volcaniclastic rocks. The ore consists of four N-S trending lenticular bodies, plunging steeply to the south, that are lithologically and structurally controlled. Their shape and thickness are variable, though a general strike length of 560 m and an overall thickness of 300 m can be defined. An alteration mineral assemblage characterises the ore, and consists of chlorite-calcite-sericite-quartz-arsenopyrite-pyrite. Pyrite, as distinct from arsenopyrite, is not limited to the altered rocks and occurs throughout the area. At Bepkong, gold is associated with arsenopyrite and pyrite, which occur disseminated in the mineralized wall rock, flanking Type-1 quartz veins, or within fractures crossing these veins. Textural observations indicate the early formation of abundant arsenopyrite, followed by pyrite, with chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite and pyrrhotite occurring as inclusions within pyrite and altered arsenopyrite. Detailed petrography, coupled with SEM, LA-ICP-MS and EMP analyses, indicate that gold in the Bepkong deposit occurs in three distinct forms: (i) invisible gold, mostly in arsenopyrite (ii); visible gold as micron-size grains within fractures and altered rims of arsenopyrite, as well as at the interface of sulphide grains; (iii) free visible gold in fractures in quartz veins and their selvages. We interpret the invisible gold to have co-precipitated with the early-formed arsenopyrite. The small visible gold grains observed within the sulphide interfaces, altered arsenopyrite, fractures and grain boundaries, are interpreted to have formed as a result of the dissolution and redistribution of the invisible gold during later alteration of arsenopyrite, which took place at lower temperatures during crenulation and fracturing accompanying late deformation, and was accompanied by pervasive pyritization of the wall rock.

Shear-related gold mineralization in Northwest Ghana: The Julie deposit

The Julie deposit is currently the largest gold prospect in NW Ghana. It is hosted in sheared granitoids of TTG composition of the Paleoproterozoic Julie greenstone belt. The main mineralization consists of a corridor of gold-bearing quartz veins forming a network of a few tens of metres in thickness, trending E–W and dipping 30–60° N, contained within the main shear zone that affects these rocks. The core of this vein corridor is altered by sericite, quartz, ankerite, calcite, tourmaline and pyrite, and is surrounded by an outer halo consisting of albite, sericite, calcite, chlorite, pyrite and rutile. A second set of veins, conjugate to the first set, occurs in the area. These veins have alteration halos with a similar mineralogy as the main corridor, however, their extent, as well as the size of the mineralization, is less important. In the main corridor, gold forms micron-sized grains that occur in pyrite as inclusions, on its edges, and in fractures crosscutting it. Silver, tellurium, bismuth, copper and lead commonly accompany the gold. Pyrite occurs disseminated in the veins and in the surrounding rocks. Up to several ppm Au occurs in the structure of pyrite from the main mineralization.

Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana

Far too many people in urban Ghana live without access to safe drinking water and this is a primary determinant of continuing poverty. Using questionnaire survey and key informant interviews, this study explored the situation of households’ access to potable water supply in the Wa Municipality, a low-income urban area in north-west Ghana. This study highlights several important issues on access to water supply focusing on availability, accessibility and cost. A clustered sample of residential areas of the municipality was employed and the study was able to examine spatial disparities in access to water supply. The results indicate that access to potable water supply in the municipality is generally high as only 13 percent of households depend on open wells as their main source. Also, the private sector (individuals and non-governmental organizations) are major players in public water supply in the municipality. In spite of the progress made in access to potable water supply, distance and cost of water remain serious challenges confronting households. The study recognizes that private individuals create additional water facilities to augment public supplies, but the positive impacts on health and livelihoods could be greater if access to finance could be facilitated. Most importantly, water supply improvement strategies should incorporate an integrated vision, which sees adequate and quality water both as a goal in itself and as a contributor to economic and social development through gains in public health.

‘If it’s Your Money, I Will Pay and Go’: Shifting and Contested Significance of Brideprice Payment among the Dagaaba of Northwest Ghana

Like many ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa, the Dagaaba of northwest (now Upper West region) Ghana have regarded, and for the most part, continue to regard the payment of the brideprice as the cornerstone upon which marriage is built – without it a marriage contract is not considered legal. Since the 1980s, however, the significance or essence of the payment has been contested and challenged by many Dagaaba. While some (young men) argue for a reform of the payment, others (young women) argue that the practice should be abolished altogether. Yet a third group (mostly elders) believes that brideprice payment is a “tradition” passed down over generations that should be maintained. This article examines the origins and historical significance of brideprice payments, and how views about these payments have changed over time among the Dagaaba – from those born near the close of the last century, to those of marriageable age now. The goal of this examination is to contribute to the ongoing discussion among African scholars and governments on the importance of maintaining certain aspects of their cultural heritage.

Plants used in Wechiau Community Hippopotamus Sanctuary in Northwest Ghana

An ethnobotanical study of plants used by the indigenous people living in the Wechiau Community Hippopotamus Sanctuary in northwestern Ghana was conducted using structured and semi-structured interviews, and participant-observation methods. A total of 77 species of plants in 27 families were identified as commonly used by the communities in the sanctuary. The plants were reported used in 7 out of the 13 major plant-use categories defined by Cook (1995). The plants were mostly used as medicines (61%), materials (38%), fuel (33%), and human food (26%). The results of this study show that a larger proportion of the plants in the sanctuary are used by the communities as their sources of livelihoods and cultural activities. This demonstrates the need for ethnobotanical data for management of community-based conservation sites in the development of strategies for sustainable use of plants.

Ethnopharmacological use of plants by Sisala traditional healers in northwest Ghana

Context and objective: The Sisala traditional healers of northwest Ghana have a rich ethnomedical tradition. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyse data on medicinal plants commonly used by Sisala traditional healers.Methods: A total of 30 traditional healers were interviewed using a mixture of open- and closed-ended questionnaires after obtaining prior-informed consent. Plant materials of each species of medicinal plant mentioned being used were collected and processed as voucher specimens following standard ethnobotanical methods.Results: The majority (65%) of traditional healers were males, age ≥ 38, and their knowledge about medicinal plants was acquired orally largely from their parents (81.3%). A total of 35 species of plants were reported used to treat 24 diseases. Most (55%) of the plant materials were harvested from the bush and about half (54.8%) of the healers collected plant materials in the morning. Leaf (20%) and root (17.5%) plant materials were most commonly used in the preparation of 27 herbal remedies for treatments. The modes of administration of the herbal remedies were both through internal and external routes.Conclusion: The results of this study show that Sisala traditional healers possess rich traditional knowledge about medicinal plants and new therapeutic use claims for 34 medicinal plants used in Ghana and widely within Africa are documented for the first time.

Identifying Pathfinder Elements for Gold in Multi-Element Soil Geochemical Data from the Wa-Lawra Belt, Northwest Ghana: A Multivariate Statistical Approach

A multivariate statistical analysis was performed on multi-element soil geochemical data from the Koda Hill-Bulenga gold prospects in the Wa-Lawra gold belt, northwest Ghana. The objectives of the study were to define gold relationships with other trace elements to determine possible pathfinder elements for gold from the soil geochemical data. The study focused on seven elements, namely, Au, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ag, As and Cu. Factor analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed on the analyzed samples. Factor analysis explained 79.093% of the total variance of the data through three factors. This had the gold factor being factor 3, having associations of copper, iron, lead and manganese and accounting for 20.903% of the total variance. From hierarchical clustering, gold was also observed to be clustering with lead, copper, arsenic and silver. There was further indication that, gold concentrations were lower than that of its associations. It can be inferred from the results that, the occurrence of gold and its associated elements can be linked to both primary dispersion from underlying rocks and secondary processes such as lateritization. This data shows that Fe and Mn strongly associated with gold, and alongside Pb, Ag, As and Cu, these elements can be used as pathfinders for gold in the area, with ferruginous zones as targets.

Local Perceptions Of Migration From North-West Ghana

ABSTRACTThe Upper West Region in northern Ghana is a major source area of migrants who travel to southern Ghana seasonally or for longer periods. This has important implications for the lives and livelihoods of the migrants themselves and their relatives at home. Almost invariably the impact of out-migration on sending areas has been studied using ‘Western’ academic parameters. Little is known about how the people hemselves value the profound changes that migration causes in their societies. In this article, findings are presented from interviews with 204 rural household heads who were asked to express their opinion about the consequences of seasonal, long-term and return migration. A quantitative approach to qualitative data was adopted to differentiate between collective perceptions and individual opinions. It was found that almost all respondents were positive about the consequences of seasonal labour migration. They applauded its contribution to food security and considered it one of the few ways of gaining access to money and goods. The respondents were much more ambivalent about the consequences of long-term migration and return migration. On the positive side, they emphasized that out-migration reduced the pressure on farmland, and that some migrants attain higher living standards, both for themselves and for their relatives at home. On the negative side, many long-term migrants are not able to improve their livelihoods or lose their interest in the home community. The lack of support of some migrants is greatly lamented, especially if they later return empty-handed and become a burden on their relatives at home. The methodology used in this study yielded a holistic view of the consequences of migration on the source area as seen through the eyes of the home community

Evaluation of Bednets After 38 Months of Household Use in Northwest Ghana

A total of 255 bednets were collected 38 months after distribution in Lawra District of northwest Ghana to examine their physical condition and residual insecticide levels. Physical condition varied from nearly pristine to highly damaged. In 50 selected nets, 2023 holes > or = 0.5 cm and 31 holes > or = 10 cm were counted. The incidence of holes increases toward the bottom edge of the net. Seam failures were found in 50% of the nets. Repairs, mostly sewn, were evident in 64% of the nets. Using a combination of bromine x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and cone bioassays, it was determined that 14.9% of the nets had retained full insecticidal strength. These results highlight the value of real-world data on bednet longevity to guide decisions regarding mosquito control strategies, bednet purchasing, frequency of bednet replacement, and product development.

Forbidden Fruit in the Compound: A Case Study of Migration, Spousal Separation and Group-Wife Adultery in Northwest Ghana

AbstractThis paper explores the anthropological implications of the notion of adultery by showing how it can improve our understanding of a local debate about descent, migration and local responses to it, among communities belonging to the Dagara of northwestern Ghana. Using a case study of group-wife adultery, that is, a sexual affair between a man and the wife of a fellow member of the same patrilineal descent group in the context of male migration, the paper highlights the tension between a husband's sexual rights over his wife and those of his descent group over the wife's procreation. It further examines the rituals surrounding the resolution of the case and the arguments generated by it as a prism through which to view social change and Dagara social organization. An evaluation of the community views about spousal separation, the punishment associated with group-wife adultery and the multiple responses of its members to the offence is presented with ethnographic examples.

ARROWS AND EARTH SHRINES: TOWARDS A HISTORY OF DAGARA EXPANSION IN SOUTHERN BURKINA FASO

The history of the Black Volta region in what is currently south-west Burkina Faso and north-west Ghana has been marked by the agricultural expansion of Dagara-speaking groups. This article explores how and why these groups were able to expand at the expense of neighbouring segmentary societies such as the Phuo and the Sisala. Violence certainly played a role in their territorial expansion, but so did specific strategies of ritual appropriation of new territories. The Dagara system, with its characteristic fission of existing earth shrines and networks of interlinked shrines, allowed mobility and helped the migrants bring new territories under their ritual control. In addition, patriclans and matriclans as well as joking relationships, clan alliances and institutionalized friendship enabled the Dagara pioneers to recruit many new settlers within a short time. This was a crucial asset for the security of the newly founded settlements and the territorial encroachment on Phuo and Sisala lands. In addition, mobility was, and continues to be, supported by an explicit ethos of independence and autonomy. Focusing on the late pre-colonial periods, the article looks at different stages of Dagara expansion and the changing interethnic relations.

Dagara bagr: ritualising myth of social foundation

AbstractThe article explores the ritualising processes of a myth of social foundation, the bagr myth, among the Dagara of north-west Ghana and south-west Burkina Faso. It describes how rituals form part of the daily life of the Dagara and shows how bagr rituals form a series of private and public events lasting the whole year or the bagr season. The article describes the social life in the neighbourhood within which most ritual activities take place and outlines the historical events which are possibly responsible for the creation of the bagr myth itself as a narrative text. The rest of the article is devoted to the ritualising processes of the bagr myth. Much of the article, particularly this section, is structured around the author's own experiences and participant observation of ritual activities. The aim is to show why the public rituals of bagr are not about initiating particular individuals into a secret society or lodges but are about how Dagara society constitutes itself. The day and night ritual narration of the bagr myth involving different segments of society and described in detail in the second half of the article seems to justify this claim. The article includes excerpts from bagr narratives recorded by the author to illustrate how the text is being constructed and the sort of information it is intended to communicate.

ACTIVITY PATIERNS IN NOCTURNAL WEST AFRICAN SAVANNA SNAKES

ABSTRACT A two-year collecting programme, carried out in the Guinea Savanna in the Wa area, north-west Ghana, produced a total of 480 snakes of 37 species. As part of this programme, routine night-collecting by motorcycle and on foot, produced 190 specimens of 22 nocturnal species. Both seasonal and daily activity patterns in several species were noted. Activity patterns were strongly affected by temperature and rainfall. Preference for different temperature/climatic regimes appear to separate certain species that would otherwise possibly compete.

Soils in North-west Ghana

Soils in North-west Ghana