Place-Named Products

Naming a product after a place is a common practice. It may be done, for example, to make a claim of authenticity of origin or of suitability to the intended application. In Ghana, there are some well-known examples of such 'epotoponyms'.

Ahibenso Coalpot

In 1989 the Ministry of Mines & Energy developed the 'Ahibenso Coalpot' (right), an "Improved Cook Stove" (ICS). It was reported to have an efficiency of 30-39%, compared to the 18% of the traditional coal pot (left), and to use 30-40% less charcoal than the latter. Unfortunately, the marketing strategy proved unsuccessful. A monopoly was given to the company Alfa Manufacturing in order to ensure quality production, and about 30,000 units were sold. However, the advantage over the traditional stove was not sufficiently understood to warrant the higher price, which was about three times as much. To break the monopoly, funding was obtained from the UNDP to train local artisans to make the Ahibenso. But the lower quality of their products had the effect of raising the price of the original models further, and reducing the demand for the replicas. The opportunity was lost and other ICS designs captured the market.
Ahibenso is a town in Bodi District, Western Region.
Sources:
Edjekumhene, & Cobson-Cobbold, J, "Low-Carbon Africa: Ghana", KITE, November 2011
GEF Small Grants Programme (2002): Increasing Production and Use of Ahibenso Improved Coalpot
Quaye, W & Stosch, L, "A study of fuel consumption of three types of household charcoal stoves in Ghana", Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol.41, No.1, 2008

Bolga Basket

       Traditional Bolga basket
Bolga baskets on sale in Accra     
The town of Bolgatanga, or 'Bolga' as it is often called locally, is known throughout the country (and even internationally) for its market of colourful, robust & durable baskets. These are made in the surrounding villages, woven from the local 'kinkanhe' grass (Guinea grass, Panicum maximum). In addition to the standard round 'market' basket, various other shapes are made, some of them peculiar to the village of origin, the name of the latter being added to identify the design, e.g. the Gambibgo pot-shaped basket and the Yikene & Nyariga 'tote' baskets. The weavers are also very flexible in their response to customer requirements and marketing strategies, resulting in such innovations as the Bicycle Basket, the Stair Step Basket & the Umbrella Basket.
Bolgatanga is the capital town of the Upper East Region.
Sources:
Wemegah, R, "Boosting the Bolgatanga Basketry Industry: Inputs from the India-Africa Craft Design Initiative", Int. Journal of Innovation & Applied Studies, ISSN 2028-9324, Vol.9, No.2, Nov.2014, pp.897-905
My Bolga Baskets: http://mybolgabaskets.com/
Yidana, G, "Fair Market Report on The Straw Basket Industry in Bolgatanga", G-lish Foundation, Ghana, 2014

Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit latrine

https://sites.google.com/site/ghanaplacenames/places-in-perspective/commodities/KVIP.jpg
The following concise description of the KVIP is given by Charles Thrift:
"The Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit Latrine (KVIP) was developed by Albert Wright at the Kumasi University of Science and Technology (now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology) in the early 1970s. The KVIP is a twin-pit VIP latrine, which allows the contents of one pit to compost while the other pit is in use. By the time the second pit is full, the contents of the first pit should be fully composted, and can therefore be removed manually and spread on fields without health risks. KVIPs were first developed as a technology for public toilets, but have become a preferred technology for household sanitation. KVIPs have a number of advantages over other sanitation technologies: they require almost no maintenance, any anal cleaning materials can be used, and it does not require water. They are now the most common technology used by urban households, and the second most common technology used by rural households (50% of rural residents use pit latrines, and 27% have no toilet facilities; Ghana Statistical Service 2000)."
Kumasi is the capital city of the Ashanti Region.
Sources:
D.Whittington, D.T.Lauria, A.M.Wright, K Choe, J.A.Hughes & V.Swarna, "Household Demand for Improved Sanitation Services: A Case Study of Kumasi, Ghana", UNDP-World Bank Water and Sanitation Program, 1992
C.Thrift, "Sanitation Policy in Ghana: Key Factors and the Potential for Ecological Sanitation Solutions", EcoSanRes & Stockholm Environment Institute, 2007