The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has directed all shops, markets, and commercial establishments within its jurisdiction to suspend operations from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2026, to allow for full participation in the October edition of the National Sanitation Day (NSD) clean-up exercise.
The exercise will also mark Ghana’s commemoration of the 2026 World Cleanup Day, with the AMA hosting the national flagship event at a time when the government is intensifying its broader “Clean Up Ghana” agenda.
In a public notice issued on Wednesday, September 30 and signed by its Head of Public Affairs, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, on behalf of the Metropolitan Chief Executive, the AMA said the exercise would focus on desilting drains, sweeping streets, collecting refuse and cleaning public spaces and business surroundings across the capital.
The national event will be led by the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, under the theme, “National Sanitation Day: Local Actions Yielding National Impact.” The theme aligns with the government’s Clean Up Ghana Agenda, which seeks to promote collective responsibility for improving environmental sanitation.
Background: The Revival of a Stalled Initiative
The National Sanitation Day was first introduced in September 2014 under the leadership of then Local Government Minister Julius Debrah, mobilising Ghanaians on the first Saturday of each month to clean their surroundings. The initiative was abandoned after 2016 and replaced with the Green Ghana Day. President John Dramani Mahama relaunched the NSD on September 6, 2025, under the Clean Up Ghana Agenda, setting aside the first Saturday of every month for nationwide clean-up campaigns across all 261 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
The revival comes amid persistent sanitation challenges in the capital. Accra generates huge volumes of waste daily, and rapid urbanisation has outpaced municipal infrastructure, leaving the city struggling to manage waste effectively. Poor solid waste management in the Greater Accra Region has contributed significantly to public health risks and recurrent flooding, with the problem rooted in limited public awareness, inadequate collection and recycling infrastructure, and insufficient disposal capacity.
In September 2026, President Mahama launched the National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise at Agbogbloshie, describing the situation as a national emergency. “For too long, we have lived with this shame in the middle of our capital. Today, we say enough is enough. Accra must breathe again. Jamestown must live again,” the President said, adding that the exercise formed part of his administration’s efforts to deliver on its Clean Ghana Agenda. Government deployed equipment under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) and secured more than 200 trucks from road contractors to support the waste evacuation, with the Ghana Armed Forces providing personnel and logistics.
Designated Locations Across Three Sub-Metropolitan Areas
The AMA said it would coordinate activities across its three sub-metropolitan areas, with selected markets and commercial centres serving as key locations. In Ashiedu Keteke, the clean-up will cover London Market and Rawlings Park. Activities in Ablekuma South will take place at Tuesday Market and Camara, while in Okaikoi South, the exercise will focus on Circle Neoplan.
Activities at these locations will include desilting drains, general cleaning and the removal and collection of refuse. The exercise is intended to mobilise traders, residents and other groups to help clear waste from public spaces and improve sanitation in busy commercial areas.
Strict Enforcement and Sanctions
The Assembly has warned that it will deploy sanitation officers across the metropolis to monitor participation and enforce compliance. Public Health Officers, popularly known as Sama-Sama, will work alongside the AMA Sanitation Task Force during the exercise.
Failure to comply with the sanitation directive or refusal to participate in communal labour constitutes an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine of up to one hundred penalty units or imprisonment of not less than thirty days and not more than six months, or both. The AMA has a track record of enforcement: in December 2025, a trader was fined GH¢2,400 or, in default, sentenced to one month in prison by the AMA Sanitation Court for refusing to participate. In October 2025, the Mayor of Accra ordered the prosecution of 37 institutions and individuals for defying the sanitation directive, describing their actions as “a blatant disregard for lawful authority.”
Earlier in September 2026, six food vendors were fined a total of GH¢1,100 for operating during the September edition of the NSD exercise.
Call for Broad Participation
Beyond traders and commercial operators, the Assembly has appealed to corporate institutions, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, religious bodies, youth groups and schools to support the national commemoration. It called on these groups to participate actively and help mobilise communities for the exercise.
“The AMA reiterates that maintaining a clean city cannot be achieved by the Assembly alone and requires sustained participation from residents and other stakeholders,” the statement said. It urged the public to view the exercise as a shared responsibility and to maintain clean surroundings beyond the designated sanitation period.
The Assembly said the national commemoration would demonstrate Ghana’s commitment to environmental sustainability through local action and collective responsibility.
World Cleanup Day Context
The October 3 event follows a series of World Cleanup Day activities held across Ghana in September. On September 19, approximately 576 volunteers removed 51.5 tonnes of waste from Ananse Beach at Nungua in Accra, in an exercise led by Mayekoo in collaboration with Let’s Do It Ghana. More than three million kilogrammes of textile, single-use plastics and other waste have been removed from Accra’s coastline since 2024 through ongoing coastal restoration efforts.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly has also announced a massive clean-up exercise at Alabar in the Afia Kobi Electoral Area on October 3, coinciding with the national event.
The AMA urged traders and business operators to make the necessary arrangements ahead of Saturday’s exercise to avoid disruption and ensure compliance. With the national spotlight on Accra as host of the flagship event, the Assembly said the exercise would demonstrate Ghana’s commitment to environmental sustainability through local action and collective responsibility.
