The district assembly is located in the western part of Upper East Region and has Paga as its capital town.

The paramount aim of creating this Assembly was to bring the business of governance to the doorsteps of the ordinary Ghanaian.

The Kassena-Nankana West District falls within the interior continental climatic zone of the country characterized by pronounced dry and wet seasons.

First is the warm, dusty and dry harmattan air mass, which blows in the north easterly direction across the whole district from the Sahara desert.

2 Figure 1.1: Map of Kassena Nankana West District Source: Ghana Statistical Service, 2010 Population and Housing Census The vegetation is mainly of Sahel Savannah type consisting of open savannah with fire swept grassland separating deciduous trees among which may be seen a few broad-leafed and fireleached tree species.

Common trees which are also of economic importance include Dawadawa, Sheanut, Baobab, Nim and Mango.

The low vegetation cover of the area hampers sufficient rainfall thereby reducing underground water supply.

The Savannah Ochrosols are porous, well drained, loamy, mild acidity and interspersed with patches of black or dark grey clay soils.

Other important national agencies that are crucial but not yet established in the district are: The Fire Service, The Statistical Service Department, Survey Department, The Forestry Commission, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), The Land Valuation Board 4 Committees of the assembly The following committees have been constituted and are operational as part of the political and administrative machinery of the district.

The executive committee (which is supported by the following sub-committees): Finance and Administration, Works, Justice and Security, Development Planning, Health and Environment, Education, Agriculture, Women and Children.

There are seven paramountcies in the Kassena Nankana West District, namely, Paga, Chiana, Katiu, Nakong, Kayoro, Mirigu, and Sirigu.

Every paramountcy has at least one ‘Tindana’ who acts as the chief priest and relates with the ancestral traditions which he holds in trust for the people.

Minor ethnic groups include Kantosi, Moshie, Builsa, Zambrama and few migrant workers from Burkina-Faso.

Another post-harvest festival is Gakwea which is also celebrated to give reverence and thanks to the gods for a bumper harvest which has implication for food security in the district.

In the event of the bridegroom's inability to pay the initial sheep and cow, the children would be mandated to settle their father's indebtedness before they can dowry their wives.

Inheritance in the district invariably denies women access to productive resources including land.

Funerals have become expensive in the way they are performed these days in the district due to show of real wealth and competition.

The major crops grown are millet, sorghum, rice, groundnuts, leafy vegetables, cowpea, bambara beans, okro, cotton, tomatoes and onion.

The main markets are Chiana, Paga, Sirigu, Kandiga, Mirigu, Katiu, Nakong and Kayoro.

The major small scale industrial activities include sheabutter extraction, pito brewing, milling or grinding of millet for domestic use, dawadawa processing, weaving and dressmaking, pottery, rice milling and soap making.

Location 1 Hairdressers 70 District wide 2 Tailors and dress makers 75 District wide 3 Bakers 9 Paga 4 Sheabutter extractors 92 Nakolo, Kalvio 5 Bee keepers 25 Nakong 6 Soap makers 120 Paga, Nabango, Chiana, Kalvio 7 Guinea fowl rearers 75 Chiana, Nakolo, Nakong 8 Smock weavers 17 Nabango, Paga Central 9 Batik tie and dye 30 Paga, Nakolo [2] Source: Ghana Statistical Service, 2010 Population and Housing Census Most of these small scale industries are one-man or one woman businesses and hardly employ people.

Such institutions include Non-governmental Organizations, Community Based Rural Development Project and National Board for Small Scale Industries.

They include Kubs lodge, the CEPS Canteen, Black heritage, More Hope Enterprise and several other pito bars.

However, most of these facilities need to be developed in order to attract more users which would in turn boost the private sector in the district.