Lake Volta: How Ghana created the world's largest artificial lake

Did you know? Ghana is home to Lake Volta, the world's largest man-made lake by surface area.

Covering approximately 8,500 square kilometres, about 3.6% of Ghana's total land area, the lake was created in 1965 following the construction of the Akosombo Dam, a flagship project initiated under the government of Ghana's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, to generate electricity and support industrialisation.

Construction of the Akosombo Dam began in 1961 after the Volta River Project was adopted as a national development priority following Ghana's independence in 1957. The dam was completed in 1965, and President Nkrumah officially commissioned it on January 22, 1966.

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The project was financed through a partnership involving the Government of Ghana, the World Bank, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Kaiser Aluminum through the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO).

Today, Lake Volta remains one of Ghana's most important national assets. Beyond generating hydroelectric power, it supports inland transportation, fishing, irrigation, tourism, and water supply, making it a major contributor to the country's economic and social development.

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