Accra, September 1, 2026 — Newly appointed Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Ghana’s waste management system following a tour of major waste management facilities in the Greater Accra Region.
The Minister said the review must cover the entire waste management value chain, including waste collection, transportation, transfer, treatment, recycling and final disposal.
Hon. Ayariga made the call on Tuesday, September 1, during a tour of key waste management facilities, including the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), Achimota Waste Transfer Station, Jamestown Waste Transfer Station and the Kpone landfill site.
The facilities visited included subsidiaries of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC). The tour also involved officials of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and formed part of the Minister’s early engagements to assess existing gaps and explore investment opportunities to strengthen Ghana’s sanitation infrastructure.
He was accompanied by the Mayor of Accra, Michael Allotey, officials of the Ministry, representatives of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and other stakeholders.
Ayariga calls for overhaul of waste management system
Speaking after the tour, Mr Ayariga said the assessment had exposed significant weaknesses in the way waste is currently managed.
“There are clearly a lot of gaps in terms of the systems that we have for collecting and managing waste,” he said.
According to the Minister, the challenges begin at the household level, where different forms of waste are often mixed instead of being separated at source.
He said government would work towards introducing systems that encourage households to segregate waste and provide appropriate bins and receptacles.
“From the homes where the waste is generated, we don’t separate them. We must put in place a system for separating it right from the homes,” Mr Ayariga said.
He added that improvements were also needed in the transportation and transfer of waste.
“We must overhaul the system of transporting the waste to the transfer stations. We must bring the transfer stations closer to our communities.”
The Minister further called for treatment and composting facilities to be located closer to major population centres to reduce transportation distances and associated costs.
Infrastructure and technology already available
Mr Ayariga said Ghana already had access to much of the technology and infrastructure required to improve waste management, arguing that better organisation and coordination were now critical.
“The infrastructure, the technology to do all this is available. A lot of it is organisational,” he said.
He noted that the challenges observed in Accra were likely to be replicated in other major cities across the country.
“What we’ve seen here, I believe, is just a microcosm of the infrastructure across the country.”
Government seeks investment in sanitation
The Minister said the tour would provide valuable information for government as it works to mobilise investment into the waste management sector.
He disclosed that the delegation included BADEA Vice President for Operations and Secretary General, Dr. Fatima Elsheikh, as part of discussions around possible financing for waste management infrastructure.
“This will serve as the basis for planning and seeking investment,” Mr Ayariga said.
He said government was interested in mobilising resources for the entire waste management chain, from collection and transportation to treatment and recycling.
Ayariga backs polluter-pays principle
Mr Ayariga also backed the polluter-pays principle, saying individuals and properties that generate waste should contribute fairly towards the cost of managing it.
“I believe in the principle of the polluter pays. If you pollute, you pay for the management of the pollution,” he said.
“Every property must pay its fair share of the cost of managing the waste.”
However, he assured residents that government would simultaneously work to make waste management more efficient and reduce the financial burden on households.
According to him, inefficiencies in the current system, including the long distances travelled by waste trucks and high operating costs for private waste collectors, contribute significantly to household waste collection fees.
“If we organise it well, we could reduce the cost per household of waste management by even 50 percent,” he said.
He also pledged greater accountability and transparency in the use of funds dedicated to waste management.
“We promise to be accountable. We promise to be efficient. We promise to be transparent, so that you see exactly how your resources are being used,” he said.
BADEA expresses readiness to support Ghana
Dr. Fatima Elsheikh said she was impressed by the government’s determination to improve waste management and stressed that the sector should be viewed not only as an environmental challenge but also as an economic opportunity.
“Waste is not about actual waste. It’s actually about employment opportunities that it gives to people, livelihood,” she said.
She also highlighted Accra’s importance as a major African commercial centre, noting that a cleaner and better-managed city would enhance its attractiveness.
“Accra is not the capital of Ghana only. It’s one of the hubs of Africa,” she said.
Dr. Elsheikh pledged BADEA’s willingness to support Ghana’s efforts to develop a more sustainable waste management system.
“We’ll be happy to contribute as a development bank,” she said.
The engagement is expected to inform further discussions on financing, infrastructure development and reforms aimed at creating a more efficient and sustainable waste management system in Ghana.
