The Upper West Region was created in 1983 and it is the youngest of the ten (10) regions in the country. It is located in the North Western part of Ghana. It covers the geographical area of 18,476 km2 which represents 12.7% of the total land area of Ghana. By virtue of its allocation it has the potential for international and inter-regional trade and other bilateral relations. The region has a projected population of 772,081. 53% of the population is below 20 years and this implies that there is huge potential labour force for the future.
The region has three (3) major ethnic groups which include the Dagaaba, Wala, and Sissali. The other minority tribes include Birifor, Lobi, Chakali and Kasinas. The prime occupation of the people is agriculture in which 80% are engaged in. Issues of agriculture development are ranked high in view of the fact that it is the main stay of the population.