President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned an exercise to evacuate accumulated waste from Agbogbloshie in Accra to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Site near Nsawam in the Eastern Region.
The exercise, launched on Friday, September 18, forms part of the government’s National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise, which seeks to tackle major sanitation and waste-management challenges across the country.
At Agbogbloshie, authorities are targeting the removal of approximately one million tonnes of accumulated waste within 90 days. The volume was estimated through a drone-assisted assessment using artificial intelligence technology.
The operation is being coordinated by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in partnership with the Ghana Armed Forces and the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP).
Funding for the exercise is being provided by the Ministry of Finance, with additional support from the District Assemblies Common Fund.
A range of heavy-duty equipment acquired under DRIP, including excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders and tipper trucks, has been deployed to clear, load and transport the waste to the Adepa landfill.
The Ghana Armed Forces, including personnel from the 48 Engineers Regiment, is providing engineering and operational support for the exercise.
President Mahama said the involvement of the military demonstrates the use of its technical capabilities beyond security operations to support emergency response and national development initiatives.
The waste will be transported approximately 42 kilometres from Agbogbloshie to the Adepa site, where it will be disposed of through controlled processes involving compaction and covering in line with environmental safeguards.
President Mahama urged those involved in the exercise to ensure that the excavation, loading, transportation and disposal processes are carried out safely to protect residents, road users and communities along the route.
Major waste-haulage activities are expected to be conducted at night to minimise disruption and ease the movement of the large quantities involved, although some operations will continue during the day.
The President said the exercise is also aimed at addressing the health and environmental risks associated with the prolonged accumulation of waste, open dumping and burning at Agbogbloshie.
Beyond the cleanup, government intends to redevelop the reclaimed site under the proposed Agbogbloshie Urban Renewal Project.
The plans include the development of an industrial park and the establishment of a major textile factory, which the government says will help create employment opportunities.
President Mahama has further directed that measures be introduced to prevent the cleared area from being used for dumping again.
He stressed that the success of the exercise will depend not only on removing the existing waste but also on ensuring that the reclaimed site is properly protected and managed after the evacuation.
