In a bold move to address Ghana’s growing waste management challenges, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has announced a large-scale emergency clean-up exercise under the National Sanitation Day (NSD), now rescheduled for Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Speaking during a strategic engagement with Christian leaders in Accra, the Minister outlined the government’s plan to mobilize environmental service providers, civil society, and faith-based organizations for a unified national clean-up effort.
“This isn’t just another clean-up; it’s an emergency sanitation operation,” Ibrahim stressed. “We are engaging all sectors—from recycling plants to churches—to ensure that this time, the exercise delivers long-term impact.”
Key among the government’s partners are major Christian institutions such as the Christian Council of Ghana, the Presbyterian Church, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, who were urged to leverage their influence to inspire action among their congregations.
The May 3 exercise is expected to include desilting of gutters, collection of plastic waste for recycling, and organized transport of organic waste. The initiative aligns with the government’s broader vision of sustainable waste management and disease prevention.
“We recognize that a ban on plastics may not be realistic right now, but the focus is on education, recycling, and behavior change,” Ibrahim noted, citing the recent acquisition of recycling equipment as part of long-term reforms.
With Easter approaching, the Minister encouraged church leaders to incorporate messages of environmental stewardship into sermons, underscoring the moral responsibility of citizens to maintain clean communities.
The upcoming NSD marks a new phase in Ghana’s sanitation strategy—one that places emphasis on multisectoral collaboration and community ownership.
