Brief History
Cantonments is a well-planned, modern planned residential settlement located on the east of the city of Accra. Most of the homes in the area have three to four bedrooms and are often occupied by the wealthy, academics or government officials. Recently, the area has seen the renovation and conversion of old buildings into high rise apartment and office blocks to serve to mainly serve the expat community and the organizations operating in this area. It is also the home of many diplomatic missions in the country. There are almost no shops or nightlife in Cantonments and residents usually go to nearby Osu to buy their food and for entertainment. Public transport (trotros and taxis) is reasonable although most residents own cars.
Hospitals
Akai House Clinic is located on the Number 1, 6th Circular Road, Cantonments. Akai House Clinic is a health center or community health center or clinic staffed by a group of general practitioners, health professionals and nurses. Typical services covered are family practice and dental care, but some other services may include internal medicine, pediatric, dermatology, women’s care, family planning, pharmacy, lab, medical supplies and more. Colour Doppler ultrasound/ echo-cardiogram, digital CT scanner, vaccination facilities including Hib and MMR available. Contact them on +233 302 784 772/3/4.
Police Hospital is located on the main Cantonments and adjacent to the Danquah Circle roundabout. It provides general and special treatments to the general public with 24 hour X-ray facility, emergency and ambulance services, . Contact them on +233-302 762 389
Kumoji Hospital is private cardiology hospital on the Switchback road near Cantonment in Accra. It provides typical services such as family practice, dental care, internal medicine, pediatric, women’s care, family planning, pharmacy, lab, medical supplies. Contact them on +233-302 776 650
Schools & Libraries
New Horizon Special School is a special school for the intellectually disabled individuals located on the main Cantonments road opposite the Togolese Embassy. It is the oldest private special education school in Ghana focusing on educating and training its students with autism, down syndrome, hearing impairment with practical social and vocational training. It is run as a not-for-profit organization funded through donations, sponsorship and proceeds of its products. Contact them on +233-302 772 878 or www.newhorizon-school-gh.com
Tall Oaks Int. School is a healthy and happy learning environment for children aged between 12 months and 5 years which uses the curricula of the Ghana Education Service, British National Curriculum, IGSE and CIE. It is situated in a spacious premise at No. 1 Mankralo Close, East Cantonments a quiet leafy suburb with large, shaded grassed play areas. Contact them on +233 – 302 777 285 or www.nvisionghana.com
Mother’s Nest School is a private basic school in East Cantonments. The pre-school uses adapted Montessori teaching methods, adapted to suit the Ghanaian culture whilst the primary section offers the Ghanaian curriculum and some additional subjects. Contact them on mothersnest@yahoo.com +233-244 252 613
Morning Star School is a private school which offers an excellent quality education to pupils from Kindergarten to Junior High School Levels (KG – 9th grade). It has science, computer, language, graphic design, mathematics and music departments. It is located in the serene Cantonments-Labone suburb of Accra. Contact them on +233-302 775 979/ 777 979 or www.mostarschool.edu.gh
Ghana International School “GIS” is one of the best international schools in Ghana which has continued to be the leader in delivering the English National Curriculum in Ghana. Accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), GIS has won a reputation around the world for academic excellence. The school accepts applications for children aged three years to eighteen. Upper Secondary School students follow the Cambridge International Examinations’ IGCSE and GCE A-level courses. It is located on the second circular road, Cantonments. Contact them on +233-302 777 163 / 0302 773 299 / +302 775143 www.gis.edu.gh
Aquinas Senior High School is a prestigious all-male senior high school located adjacent to the Morning Star School founded by the Roman Catholic Church. It is named after the Saint Thomas Aquinas with motto “Veritas Liberat” meaning “The truth shall set you free”. It offers courses in Science, General Arts, Business and Visual Arts. Its curriculum is based on the Ghana Education Service which provides students with a West African Students Examination Certificate (WASSCE) upon completion. Contact them on www.saintaquinasschool.com
NAFTI (National Film & Television Institute) is the premiere national film and television institute in Ghana built by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1978 to equip students with knowledge and skills in film and television. It offers courses in directing, sound engineering, photography, animation, TV production, editing, art directions, etc. Contact them on www.nafti.edu.gh
Museums
WEB Dubois Memorial Centre is a museum for highlighting and preserving Pan African culture located in Cantonments which is adjacent to the United States Embassy. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an African-American civil rights activist who became a citizen of Ghana in the 1960s. It is an important venue for all people of African descent and the diaspora. The centre has a museum, library, theatre, restaurants, research centre for Pan-African history and culture and offices. It is open from Mondays to Saturdays 9am to 4pm with GHC3.00 as entrance fee. Visit the centre or call +233- 302 776 502 or www.webdubois-gh.org
Goethe Institute is a German-Ghanaian cultural exchange institute adjacent to the South African Embassy. It has a library and information centre for learning and teaching German. Contact them at info@accra.goethe.org or +233 261 078 143 / +233 549 898 262 or www.goethe.de/ins/gh/en/acc.html
Restaurants & Bars
Maquis Tante Marie is an elegant restaurant on the 5th Norla Link near the Metro TV and the Accra Mall. The seating is open-sided and the tasteful bamboo furniture which adds to the exotic vibe of the place. The menu is proudly African with authentic dishes predominantly from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, such as tilapia and banku, nyama choma (grilled, spiced meat, usually mutton) and fish yassa (grilled in a tangy lemon marinade). It’s a great place for some traditional West African food. It is opened from 11.30am-11pm daily. Contact them on +233-302 778 914/ 0243 225 181 or www.maquistantemarie.com
Captain Hooks Restaurant is Accra’s most popular seafood restaurant located in Cantonments near the Goethe-Institut. The ambience and decor is inevitably nautically themed. Tasteful dishes include lobster tail with smoked salmon and dill sauce, and snail facon du chef, sole meunière, red snapper and lobster. Opened from Mondays to Saturdays from 11am to midnight, contact them on +233-302 762 228 or www.captainhookghana.com
