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Ghana’s fertility rate on decline – Survey
Birth among women have reduced significantlyin recent times, a new survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed.
The survey pointed to a decline in fertility rate that has seen a 1988 statistic of a woman having a minimum of six children dropped to four children per woman in 2022.
The Ghana 2022 Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS), the seventh since 1988, was designed to provide datatomonitor the population and state of health in Ghana.
It aims to provide reliable estimates for fertility levels and preferences, contraceptive use, antenatal and delivery care, maternal and child health, childhood mortality, childhood immunization, breastfeeding and young child feeding practices, violence against women and other indicators relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
According to the report, women in the lowest wealth bracket tends to have six children on the average which is twice as many as women in the highest wealth bracket who have an average of about three children.
Regionally, the fertility rate ranges from two to three children per woman in the Greater Accra region to about six children or more per woman in the North East region.
It also revealed that the median age at first sexual intercourse is 18 years among women aged 25 to 49 and 20 years among men the same age.
The report also stated that the average age at first birth for women aged between 25 and 49 years is 22, saying “this means that half of women aged 25 and 49 years give birth for the first time before this age.”
Reacting to the statistics, a section of women The Spectator spoke to, confirmed the new data and gave reasons such as education, economic hardship and trauma during pregnancies for the development.
Mrs Roselyn Mensah, a banker said she has two children and did not think she would have another child.
According to her, “I want to give my children the best of education. Their fees are a lot and having additional children means we would have to pay more. My husband and I have decided to concentrate on the two and help them attain the highest level of education.”
Madam Ama Serwaa Boateng, a mother of three said, her last pregnancy nearly turned fatal so she decided to end it at three; although her dream was to have four.
Mrs Gifty Oppong, a 40-year old petty trader said, she has four children, adding that the last one was ‘unexpected.’
She cited economic reasons for the decision to have three children initially, saying that “business is not booming as it used to.”
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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Intercity STC Coaches Limited has interdicted a driver captured in a viral video allegedly hitting a Sprinter bus during an overtaking manoeuvre at Pokuase before driving away from the scene.
In a public notice, the company described the driver’s conduct as unacceptable, stressing that it did not reflect the safety standards and professionalism it upholds.
Management said it had commenced an immediate investigation into the incident and identified the driver, who has been interdicted pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
The company added that it was awaiting an official report from the Pokuase Police Command to help establish the facts surrounding the incident.
STC reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety and responsible road use, while thanking members of the public for bringing the incident to its attention.
Management assured the public that appropriate action would be taken following the investigation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
