The Akosombo Dam was built to provide hydroelectric power to support Ghana’s industrialization. When the country became independent in 1957, its chief economic activity was the export of cocoa. However, Kwame Nkrumah, the country’s first president, envisioned a more industrial approach that included making use of Ghana’s bauxite reserves, a source of the naturally occurring compound alumina, which is an essential ingredient in producing aluminum. Since aluminum smelting requires a lot of power, a hydroelectric project was planned to provide sufficient power for the smelter.
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