Accra, September 17, 2026 – President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned a major operation to evacuate the huge waste heaps at Agbogbloshie and Old Fadama in Accra to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Site near Nsawam in the Eastern Region.
The exercise, which forms part of the government’s efforts to address longstanding sanitation challenges in the capital, 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).
The operation is being funded by the Ministry of Finance with additional support from the District Assemblies Common Fund.
An assessment using drone and artificial intelligence technology has estimated the volume of waste at the site at approximately one million tonnes. The entire evacuation exercise is expected to be completed within 90 days.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, President Mahama described the exercise as an important step in the government’s determination to restore order, improve sanitation and reclaim the area for the people who live and work there.
He said the exercise was significant for three main reasons.
First, the government is putting its own capacity and equipment to work.
President Mahama said heavy-duty equipment procured under the District Road Improvement Programme would be deployed for the exercise, including tipper trucks, excavators, bulldozers and wheel loaders.
He said the equipment would provide the logistical capacity required to confront what has become a longstanding national sanitation challenge.
Second, the exercise demonstrates the value of coordinated government action.
The President said the Ministry of Finance was providing the necessary funding, with additional financial support from the District Assemblies Common Fund.
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is leading the operation, while the Ghana Armed Forces is providing operational and engineering support, particularly through the 48 Engineers Regiment.
The regiment recently gained national recognition for its role in clearing sections of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway.
President Mahama said the military would continue to be deployed for critical national emergencies and public-interest operations beyond its traditional security responsibilities.
“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,” he stated.
Third, the exercise forms part of a broader programme to transform the area.
President Mahama said the ultimate objective was not merely to remove the waste but also to eliminate the longstanding public health and environmental hazards associated with the site and create the conditions for sustainable redevelopment.
He said the clearing of the area would pave the way for the proposed Agbogloshie Urban Land Renewal Project.
“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.
The President said the operation would bring an end to the open dumping and burning of waste which, over the years, had posed serious risks to residents, workers and the surrounding environment.
According to him, the evacuated waste would be transported to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Site, where it would undergo controlled disposal, compaction and covering in accordance with appropriate environmental safeguards.
He stressed that every stage of the operation, from excavation and loading to transportation and final disposal must be carried out responsibly.
“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,” the President said.
He added:
“In the daytime, there will be some evacuation of garbage, but on a smaller scale, and then at night we go to full capacity.”
President Mahama assured residents of Old Fadama and Agbogloshie that the exercise is being undertaken with their health, dignity and the future of their children in mind.
He therefore appealed to residents to cooperate with the military personnel, DRIP operators and assembly teams as they undertake the extensive evacuation exercise in the coming weeks.
The government expects the removal of the waste to significantly improve sanitation and environmental conditions in the area while creating the foundation for the planned redevelopment of the reclaimed land.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭