By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has begun a nationwide exercise to regulate and standardise billboards and signage, starting with the Greater Accra Region.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, announced the initiative while speaking to the media after a monitoring tour held as part of activities marking National Sanitation Week.
Ms Sowah, who also serves as chairperson of the 15-member Technical Committee on the Regulation and Standardisation of Signage across Ghana, said the exercise is aimed at addressing the uncontrolled proliferation of billboards and signage, which she noted poses risks to visibility, pedestrian safety and urban cleanliness.
She disclosed that the committee, working closely with Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies, has already mapped out and removed some billboards in parts of Accra, with more expected to be pulled down in the coming days. According to her, notices have already been issued to several billboard owners.
The Deputy Minister explained that many of the signages are temporary structures and that assemblies are empowered to remove any installations that obstruct visibility, road medians and pedestrian walkways.
She cautioned owners of unauthorised or poorly sited billboards to take note, stressing that the exercise will continue nationwide as part of broader efforts to make Accra and other cities cleaner, safer and more accessible.
Ms Sowah further appealed to the public and billboard operators to cooperate with the technical committee and local assemblies to ensure the smooth and successful implementation of the exercise.
