information:filtering, information:classification, quality:correction, stylistic:tone
History

The lake was formed by the Akosombo Dam, which was originally conceived by the geologist Albert Ernest Kitson during the British colonial period in 1915, to exploit the river's energy for smelting locally-sourced bauxite. The idea regained prominence at the end of the colonial era after World War II when Kwame Nkrumah became president of the Gold Coast colony and began striving for modernization of the land. British and local governments formed a joint preparatory commission, which concluded that over 60,000 people will have to be relocated, but that the lake will boost opportunities for fishing, thus helping to feed the population in the region. On the other hand, issues with water-related illnesses were predicted, such as malaria, trypanosomiasis, schistosomiasis, and onchocerciasis.

Aluminium Limited, the main industrial sponsor of the project, withdrew after Ghana became independent in 1957. Revised plans dropped the idea of integrated aluminium industry and proposed smelting imported bauxite instead. Kaiser Aluminum entered the project at this point and after protracted negotiations, funding for the project was secured, but now without regard to residents of the impacted area as a cost-cutting measure. Construction thus began before the government started planning the resettlement. Soon after, a public agency was established, and organized construction of 52 replacement towns, which were envisioned to serve as a model for modernization and improving the livelihood of the local population. But because of the rush, the resettlement in 1964 turned out to be chaotic and inefficient. Poor organization caused the issues to continue long after the project's completion and caused significant hardship to the local population. Together, 15,000 homes in 740 villages were flooded, necessitating resettlement of 78,000 people.

In the long run, formation of the lake disrupted traditional fishing and farming practices in the region and caused a large spike in disease prevalence. Government-led modernization did not succeed, and people had to adapt to the new circumstances themselves. However, regional food production intensified in the decades after the construction of Akosombo dam, and the lake also opened a large navigable pathway to the north of the country and provided new opportunities for development of tourism which is gaining in prominence. On the other hand, water level has been decreasing recently because of global warming, reducing power generation.