The government has announced an ambitious plan to redevelop the sprawling slum along the Korle Lagoon in Accra into high-rise container housing, as part of a major intervention to address the area’s severe sanitation and public health challenges.
Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, disclosed the plan during a working visit to the area on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, where he outlined the government’s vision to transform the environmentally degraded site .
Redevelopment After Evacuation
The redevelopment initiative is expected to commence following a military-led operation to evacuate residents and clear the dumpsite, which has accumulated waste over more than three decades . The waste removed from the area will be transported to the Adepa Waste Management Centre at Nsawam in the Eastern Region for proper disposal .
The project will also involve the dredging of the Korle Lagoon to improve sanitary conditions and address the long-standing environmental challenges affecting the waterway .
Military to Secure Cleared Areas
Ayariga emphasised that military personnel would be deployed to secure the cleared areas to prevent residents and waste operators from returning to dump refuse . “Because if we don’t put soldiers to supervise and secure the areas that have been cleared, people will go back and dump there again,” he said .
The Minister acknowledged that the clearing exercise could face resistance from some residents but expressed confidence that the initiative would receive broad public support. “Those of us who want to clear it in Accra here, we are far more than those who want to resist clearing the mess,” he stated .
Waste Evacuation Logistics
The government has engaged the services of the Adepa Waste Management Centre, an engineered landfill facility operated by a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies, to receive the accumulated waste . The facility, which sits on approximately 200 acres of land, has the capacity to receive between 1,500 and 1,700 tonnes of waste daily and operates around the clock .
Site Manager Engineer Richard Omani-Mensah confirmed that the facility could accommodate additional waste from Accra, noting that trucks could utilise both daytime and nighttime operations to reduce traffic pressure . “This site has the capacity to receive over 3,000 tons a day. And we operate 24 hours a day,” he said .
Coordination with Government Ministries
The evacuation exercise follows a directive from President John Dramani Mahama for the accumulated waste around the Korle Lagoon to be cleared . Ayariga disclosed that he had consulted with the Ministers for Roads and Highways, Finance, and Defence to formulate an emergency evacuation strategy .
The government is also engaging major contractors in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions to provide trucks, equipment and other logistics for the exercise . Some contractors have expressed willingness to support the effort voluntarily .
The Finance Ministry has development plans for the vacated site once the waste has been removed . The broader Korle Lagoon redevelopment is part of the Integrated Ga–Gbese Korle Smart City and Beach Development Project, which envisions a commercial business enclave, a financial and corporate district, recreational and marina facilities, sea defence infrastructure, and affordable housing units .
Environmental Context
The Korle Lagoon has for years faced severe pollution and waste management challenges, with indiscriminate dumping and the encroachment of settlements contributing to the deterioration of the area . Ayariga noted that the accumulated waste around the lagoon, stretching from the waste management plant at Korle-Bu up to Otabil’s church, has “accumulated for over 30 years” .
The Minister indicated that the government would brief President Mahama on the arrangements as preparations continue, with the exercise designed to deliver a lasting sanitation benefit while creating a cleaner and safer environment for residents and communities around the Korle Lagoon .
