The reintroduced National Sanitation Day (NSD) is a renewed social contract between government and citizens to restore cleanliness, discipline and dignity to communities, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has said.

Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim made the call on Saturday, 6th September 2025 at the official launch of the initiative held at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Madina. He explained that the exercise will be observed on the first Saturday of every month across all 16 regions and 261 districts, and will go beyond clean-up activities to include waste segregation, recycling, public education and strict enforcement of sanitation bye-laws.

The Minister noted that the renewed NSD is anchored on three objectives: restoring discipline and pride in public spaces as a necessity for health and national dignity; empowering local government structures by making sanitation a key performance indicator (KPI) for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs); and fostering citizen participation and accountability.

He further disclosed that new accountability measures will be rolled out, including a dedicated sanitation hotline for citizens to report public nuisances, a central dashboard to monitor assembly performance, and mandatory monthly sanitation reports from assemblies to Regional Coordinating Councils and the Ministry.

Calling on traditional and religious leaders to mobilise their communities, Hon. Ibrahim also challenged the youth to bring their energy and innovation to the exercise, while urging the media to sustain public education and highlight positive sanitation practices.

He commended President John Dramani Mahama for his leadership in championing environmental sanitation and stressed that the success of the reintroduced NSD would depend on collective action from households, civil society, the private sector and every Ghanaian.

“The National Sanitation Day is a clarion call to all Ghanaians in a united front against unsanitary conditions. Together, we can build a cleaner, healthier and more prosperous Ghana,” he said.

SOURCE: Darling Maame Efua Cann

(MLGCRA PR UNIT)

On Saturday, 6th September 2025, the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, officially launched the re-introduction of the National Sanitation Day at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Ogbojo–Madina, urging Ghanaians to unite in keeping the nation clean.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, is part of the broader “Clean Up Ghana” agenda aimed at tackling unsanitary conditions, reducing disease outbreaks, and improving the quality of life of citizens. The exercise will be observed nationwide on the first Saturday of every month.

In his address, President Mahama underscored the importance of sanitation to public health, education, tourism, and socio-economic development. He said while some progress had been made, poor waste management continued to undermine Ghana’s development, making it urgent for citizens to act collectively. “The National Sanitation Day is a call to action; an opportunity for each of us, regardless of political affiliation, social standing, ethnicity, or religious beliefs, to unite in keeping our surroundings clean,” he stated.

He recalled the success of the earlier National Sanitation Day held between 2014 and 2016, which mobilised communities across the country to desilt drains, clear refuse and reclaim public spaces. The President emphasised that the revived exercise would help safeguard public health, improve hygiene, enhance the aesthetic beauty of towns and cities, promote national pride and identity, and attract tourism and investment.

To complement the monthly clean-up exercise, government has rolled out supporting initiatives. These include the Blue Water River Guards, which will engage 2,000 youth to protect water bodies and combat illegal mining, and the Tree for Life Restoration project, which will promote afforestation and create sustainable youth employment. He also announced plans to upgrade Environmental Health and Sanitation Units at the local government level into fully resourced departments, and to introduce a Cleanest City Award as an incentive for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to maintain higher standards of cleanliness. In addition, a new performance assessment framework for MMDCEs will incorporate strict sanitation indicators to ensure assemblies give proper attention to waste management.

President Mahama appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, schools, businesses, civil society, and especially the media, to use their platforms to raise awareness and mobilise support for the initiative. He stressed that the long-term success of the National Sanitation Day would depend on broad-based participation across all sectors of society.

As part of the launch on September 6, 2025, the President presented sanitation tools and implements to the volunteer group Buzstop Boys, acknowledging their grassroots efforts and encouraging Ghanaian youth to emulate their spirit of service and innovation in waste management.

Declaring the National Sanitation Day duly launched, President Mahama urged all citizens to rekindle the spirit of communal labour and make environmental responsibility a hallmark of national identity.

SOURCE: Darling Maame Efua Cann

(MLGCRA PR UNIT)

Accra, Friday, September 5, 2025 — Ahead of the relaunch of the National Sanitation Day (NSD), the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, on Friday, September 5, 2025, met with the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and senior editors of leading media houses in Accra to court their support in driving the nationwide sanitation campaign.

The engagement formed part of stakeholder consultations leading into the Clean Up Ghana Campaign, which is anchored on the reintroduction of National Sanitation Day as a flagship civic responsibility exercise.

Hon. Ibrahim underscored the indispensable role of the media in shaping public opinion and setting the national agenda, stressing that the success of the sanitation drive hinged on sustained media advocacy. “The media is the nation’s conscience. If you give prominence to sanitation, if you dedicate space, airtime, and creative energy to this cause, we will succeed in changing mindsets and building a culture of cleanliness across Ghana,” the Minister told the editors.

On behalf of the media fraternity, GJA President, Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, pledged the full support of the Ghanaian media towards the noble cause of making Ghana clean under the Clean Up Ghana Campaign. He assured that media houses across the country would dedicate their platforms to amplify the sanitation message, support behavioural change, and hold duty-bearers accountable to ensure lasting impact.

The meeting also highlighted government’s new accountability measures, including a central sanitation dashboard, a reporting hotline, and mandatory monthly performance updates from assemblies—tools the Minister urged the media to monitor and publicise as part of their watchdog role.

Friday’s engagement set the tone for the relaunch of National Sanitation Day on September 6, 2025, officially led by President John Dramani Mahama. The relaunch seeks to restore communal participation in sanitation, institutionalise citizen accountability, and position cleanliness as both a development and cultural imperative.

With the media formally on board, the Ministry expressed confidence that the Clean Up Ghana Campaign would resonate more deeply with citizens and communities, inspiring a national awakening to the shared responsibility of keeping Ghana clean.

SOURCE: Darling Maame Efua Cann

(MLGCRA PR UNIT)