Presudent Mahama launches 90-day operation to clear 1 million tonnes of Agbogloshie waste

President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned the evacuation of the massive waste heaps at Agbogloshie in Accra to the Adepa Engineered Landfill near Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

The exercise, which began on September 17, 2026, is expected to remove an estimated one million tonnes of waste from the Agbogloshie area within 90 days.

The operation is being undertaken by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces and the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP), with funding support from the Ministry of Finance and the District Assemblies Common Fund.

President Mahama said the exercise marked a significant step towards restoring order, improving sanitation and reclaiming the area for residents and businesses.

According to the President, the government is deploying heavy-duty equipment acquired under the DRIP programme, including tipper trucks, excavators, bulldozers and wheel loaders, to tackle the longstanding sanitation challenge.

He also highlighted the coordinated involvement of various state institutions in the operation, noting that the Ghana Armed Forces, particularly the 48 Engineers Regiment, would provide operational and engineering support.

“We are now mobilising them to clear Agbogloshie; after that, I have a lot of work for them. They have more tasks. Soldiers are not only going to go to war. They are going to be used for emergency operations,” President Mahama said.

The President explained that the waste clearance formed part of a broader plan to transform the Agbogloshie area through the proposed Agbogloshie Urban Land Renewal Project.

He said once the waste was removed and the land reclaimed, the government intended to establish an industrial park, including a major textile factory aimed at creating employment opportunities for young people.

“When we have cleared this garbage, the land that will be reclaimed and recovered is going to be an Industrial Park. We intend to establish a major textile factory here so that they can provide employment to our young people,” he said.

President Mahama said the operation was also intended to bring an end to open dumping and burning, which he said had posed risks to public health and the environment over the years.

The evacuated waste will be transported to the Adepa Engineered Landfill for controlled disposal, compaction and covering under appropriate environmental safeguards.

He stressed the need for the entire process—from excavation and loading to transportation and final disposal—to be handled responsibly to protect residents, road users and communities along the haulage routes.

To minimise disruption and improve safety, President Mahama said the bulk of the waste would be transported at night under the government’s 24-Hour Economy Initiative.

“We must protect the waste, the residents, road users, and the communities along the haulage routes. And that is why we are suggesting that the major haulage must take place at night in accordance with our 24-Hour Economy Initiative,” he said.

“In the daytime, there will be some evacuation of garbage, but on a smaller scale, and then at night we go to full capacity.”

The President appealed to residents of Old Fadama and Agbogloshie to cooperate with military personnel, DRIP operators and assembly teams throughout the 90-day exercise.

He said the cleanup was ultimately aimed at improving the health, dignity and future prospects of communities that had lived with the sanitation challenge for many years.