Sunyani

Sunyani is a city in the West African republic of Ghana. It is the capital of the Brong-Ahafo region.

Sunyani is the largest settlement, by area and populace, in the Brong Ahafo Region and doubles as the regional capital. According to the 2000 population census the Region has a population of 179,267. Of this total, 61,992 representing 34.5% of the total population reside in Sunyani – the growth rate calculated at 3.4% per annum.

The name Sunyani derives from the Asante word for elephant 'Osono.' The city began as an outpost for hunters who set up camp there whilst hunting for elephants.

The city has three hospitals - one of which is a brand new, state of the art development opened in 2003 - eight clinics and three maternity homes.

Although considerably smaller than nearby Kumasi in size, Sunyani is growing rapidly and is now effectually engulfing the suburb towns of Fiapre and Abesim, amongst others. Sunyani has a thriving economy and is a clean and well maintained city. The economy of the municipality is predominately agrarian with about 48% of the active population engaged in agriculture production. This is followed by the service sector which employs about 24% of the population, 15% for commerce and 13% for industry, respectively.

The City of Sunyani has modern communication facilities which include fixed telephone lines, pay phones, mobile phone, fax, internet and e-mail services. Additional to these are postal services in the form of post office, expedited mail services provided by EMS, DHL and FedEx.

The city has a number of financial institutions and services easily accessible to would be entrepreneurs and businessmen/women. These include a branch of the Bank of Ghana, Ghana Commercial Bank, Barclays Bank, Society Security Bank, Agricultural Development Bank and the National Investment Bank. There are also six rural banks, a number of credit unions and insurance institutions complementing financial service provision in the City.

The city’s growth is boosted by the fact that the supply of water is very good. Water sources include pipe borne water, bore holes, hand-dug wells, rain water and water from streams, rivers and springs. However, in severe harmattan (dry) conditions, water can become more difficult to access. Sunyani enjoys twenty-four hour electricity supply from the Volta River Authority.

Despite the lack of dedicated tourism facilities, tourists are also beginning to venture to Sunyani in greater numbers, attracted by the areas of natural beauty surrounding the city. Such visitors can take advantage of the city’s three 3-star hotels and several other rated hostels. A number of guest houses and restaurants can also be found in the City. The neatness of the City which is second to none in the country, coupled with an ever existing peaceful atmosphere serves as pull factors for many.

Home to the regional government and high court, the region's tertiary institutions are also based in the city - including two polytechnics, the College of Renewable National Resources and the Catholic University. Several of the country's very best schools can be found within the city and its suburbs, including: St. Mary's; Holy Spirit; Wesley's; Divine and St. James). Sunyani Secondary School (Susec) is a well rated government school, attracting students from throughout the region and beyond.

Cocoa House is a high rise that dominates the Sunyani skyline. The building house headquarters for several regional companies, two radio stations and numerous boutiques.

JH Mensah, a Senior Government Minster, without portfolio, is the MP for Sunyani East.

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