City profile: Tamale, Ghana

Abstract Tamale is the capital of the Northern Region of Ghana. It emerged as a growth point for northern Ghana upon independence in 1957, and has since become the third largest urban centre in the country. The city has the second highest annual population growth rates after Kumasi Metropolitan Area. In this paper, we profile Tamale regarding its social, economic and spatial growth dynamics, transformation and governance as well as highlight the implications of the city's growth trajectories for its sustainable futures.