Pader is a town in Pader District in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is administered by the Pader Town Council, an urban local government, and serves as the largest metropolitan area in the district as well as the site of the district headquarters.
Geography
Pader is located in the Acholi sub-region of northern Uganda, at coordinates 02°52′40″N 33°05′06″E, at an elevation of approximately 1,020 meters (3,350 feet) above sea level. The town is bordered by Pajule to the north, Parabong to the northeast, Lira Palwo to the east, Puranga to the south, and Awere to the west. It is approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Kitgum, the nearest large town, and about 133 kilometers (83 miles) east of Gulu, the largest city in the Northern Region.
History
Pader developed in 2000, the same year that Pader District was formed. The town became a center for foreign relief agencies assisting the civilian population affected by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency. During the conflict, a large portion of the population was displaced into internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Following a ceasefire in 2006 and subsequent peace talks, residents gradually returned to their ancestral lands.
Population
According to the 2014 national census, the population of Pader town was 14,080. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) projected the mid-year population at 14,800 in 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 1.9 percent between 2015 and 2020. The 2002 census had estimated the population at approximately 8,700.
Economy
The economy of Pader and the surrounding district is predominantly agricultural. Over 90 percent of the population engages in subsistence farming. Major food crops include finger millet, maize, sorghum, cassava, peas, beans, and vegetables. Cash crops include cotton, tobacco, soya beans, sesame (simsim), rice, sunflower, and groundnuts. Livestock rearing is also practiced on a small scale.
Points of Interest
- Headquarters of the 5th Division of the Uganda People's Defence Force
- Olwor Nguur Primary School
- Pader Girls Academy
- Archbishop Flynn Secondary School
- Paipir Primary School
- Pader Kilak Primary School
- Pader central market
- Aruu Falls, a waterfall located in Pader District along the Gulu–Kitgum highway
- Kalongo Hospital, a 200-bed community hospital administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu, located approximately 46 kilometers (29 miles) northeast of town
Administration
Pader Town Council is the urban local government authority for the town. The district is part of the Acholi sub-region and is represented in Uganda's national parliament by members for Aruu North and Aruu South constituencies, along with a district woman representative.
