Bimbila
Encyclopedia
Bimbila is a city in the Northern
Region of Ghana
. It is in the East of the region, and is near the Oti River
. Bimbila is connected by road
to the towns of Salaga
and Yendi
. A road to Nkwanta is being funded $50 million by the European Union.
Bimbila was founded by Naa Mnantambo (son of Na Gbewa) after moving south from his brother Sitobu who founded the present day Dagomba state. The new state was subsequently called Nanung which came from the Dagbani words "Na" ( King or Chief) and "Nua" ( Hand). Na Sitobu is said to have pointed his hand south and Na Mnatambo and his followers went in the direction indicated by the hand. So "Na Nua" (The King's hand) became Nanumba. Among the towns created in the early periond around 1350 were Nakpa, Bakpaba, Joanayili, Dokpam, Chamba, Gbingbalga, Darayili, and Wulensi all Nanumba towns in northern Ghana. Salaga was a later addition which was taken by the Gonja and turned into a commercial capital.
Bimbila was attacked and burnt down by the German colonial army on 29 November 1896 as precursor to the great battle of Adibo against the Dagomba army.
Today Bimbila is district capital of the Nanumba North district. It has a teachers training college set up by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in 1962; One secondary school and one Vocational training School which service many small villages/towns.
Northern Region (Ghana)
The Northern Region is the largest area of Ghana. As of 2009, it is divided into 20 districts. The region's capital is Tamale. Climatically, religiously, linguistically, and culturally, the region differs greatly from the politically and economically dominating regions of central and southern...
Region of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. It is in the East of the region, and is near the Oti River
Oti River
The Oti River is a river in West Africa that rises in Burkina Faso. It forms part of the international boundaries between Benin and Burkina Faso and between Togo and Ghana. It empties into Lake Volta....
. Bimbila is connected by road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
to the towns of Salaga
Salaga
Salaga is a city in Ghana's Northern Region and the capital of its East Gonja District.In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Salaga served as a key market town of the Ashanti kingdom, particularly for the busy regional slave trade and kola trade controlling Salaga gave the Ashanti a monopoly...
and Yendi
Yendi
Yendi is a town in the northeastern quadrant of Ghana in the Dagbon territory. As of 2000, it has a population of 40,336 people. Yendi is the traditional capital of the Dagbon Kingdom with the Ya Na as the Overlord. The people of Dagbon are called Dagombas or Dagbamba...
. A road to Nkwanta is being funded $50 million by the European Union.
Bimbila was founded by Naa Mnantambo (son of Na Gbewa) after moving south from his brother Sitobu who founded the present day Dagomba state. The new state was subsequently called Nanung which came from the Dagbani words "Na" ( King or Chief) and "Nua" ( Hand). Na Sitobu is said to have pointed his hand south and Na Mnatambo and his followers went in the direction indicated by the hand. So "Na Nua" (The King's hand) became Nanumba. Among the towns created in the early periond around 1350 were Nakpa, Bakpaba, Joanayili, Dokpam, Chamba, Gbingbalga, Darayili, and Wulensi all Nanumba towns in northern Ghana. Salaga was a later addition which was taken by the Gonja and turned into a commercial capital.
Bimbila was attacked and burnt down by the German colonial army on 29 November 1896 as precursor to the great battle of Adibo against the Dagomba army.
Today Bimbila is district capital of the Nanumba North district. It has a teachers training college set up by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in 1962; One secondary school and one Vocational training School which service many small villages/towns.