The government is mobilising state and private-sector resources to tackle the mounting waste crisis at Jamestown in Accra, with a technical assessment now underway to determine the scale and requirements of a major evacuation exercise.
Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Mahama Ayariga disclosed this on Thursday, September 3, 2026, during a media briefing at the Jamestown Waste Transfer Station.
The briefing formed part of a three-day assessment of Ghana’s waste management system, which included visits to the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), Jamestown and Achimota Waste Transfer Stations, Kpone Landfill and the Adipa Engineered Landfill at Nsawam.
Government assessing exact scale of Jamestown waste
Mr Ayariga said the immediate priority was to establish the actual volume of waste accumulated at Jamestown before determining the resources required for its removal.
“We see this from afar. We drive by, we really have no sense of the enormity of the challenge.”
Technical teams from Zoomlion Ghana Limited are deploying drones to survey the site and estimate the volume of waste. The information will be used to determine the number of trucks, trips and the likely duration of the evacuation.
The Minister said the operation would be based on technical data rather than estimates, allowing contractors to commit to specific evacuation targets.
State and private equipment to be mobilised
Government plans to bring together the Ministries of Local Government, Roads and Highways, Defence, Finance and Environment to mobilise resources for the exercise.
Contractors across the Greater Accra, Eastern and Central regions are also expected to provide trucks, excavators, bulldozers and loaders, particularly equipment that may currently be idle at construction sites.
According to Mr Ayariga, the state already has more than 100 trucks and several pieces of heavy machinery that can be complemented by private-sector resources.
The government also intends to approach mining companies and major industries to support the operation through their corporate social responsibility programmes.
Rather than seeking cash donations, companies could deploy their own equipment or engage contractors to remove agreed quantities of waste.
Adipa landfill identified as possible destination
The intervention follows Wednesday’s announcement that accumulated waste from Jamestown could be transported to the Adipa Engineered Landfill at Nsawam, which has substantial remaining capacity.
However, Mr Ayariga stressed that clearing the waste would only address the immediate problem.
He said government must also tackle the underlying causes of waste accumulation, improve community organisation and overhaul the country’s waste management system to prevent the situation from recurring.
Plans to redevelop Jamestown
The Minister also outlined plans to redevelop the Jamestown area after the waste is cleared.
He said the redevelopment would seek to avoid displacing residents, with proposals including low-cost and high-rise housing, improved roads, sanitation facilities and other basic infrastructure.
The objective, he said, would be to improve living conditions while allowing residents to remain close to their livelihoods.
Wider waste management reforms
The Jamestown intervention forms part of a broader government review of Ghana’s waste management chain.
Mr Ayariga previously identified gaps in waste collection, transportation, treatment, recycling and final disposal during his September 1 tour of waste management facilities.
He has also called for stronger waste separation at household level, better positioning of transfer and treatment facilities, and a more efficient system that could reduce the cost of waste management for households.
The Minister has further backed the polluter-pays principle, under which individuals and properties generating waste would contribute fairly toward its management.
He said government intends to ensure that funds mobilised for waste management are used transparently and efficiently.
The Defence Ministry has already formed a support team, while further decisions are expected following President John Dramani Mahama’s return from international engagements.
For now, the exact volume of waste at Jamestown and the timetable for its removal remain subject to the ongoing technical assessment.
Mr Ayariga nevertheless said government was determined to mobilise national capacity and work with public and private-sector partners to confront the sanitation challenge.
He also urged the public to support the national sanitation agenda by participating in the first-Saturday clean-up exercise and maintaining cleaner surroundings throughout the year.
