[3] Nalerigu was the capital of the Mamprugu Kingdom, one of the earliest known states in the northern area of what is now present-day Ghana.

[4] During the 16th century, a series of walls was built by Naa Jaringa using stones and mud all around the town.

It was built to protect the town against slave raiders since they were located close to the historic slave route between Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Djenne (Mali).

The town is home to the College of Health Sciences and the Nalerigu Secondary School (NASS).

[6][7][8] It is home to the location of a private hospital, the Baptist Medical Centre.