By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, has announced that the government will soon commence the construction of modern, 24-hour economy markets across all 261 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana.
Speaking after joining the first National Sanitation Day (NSD) clean-up exercise in Accra following its presidential relaunch, the Minister explained that the initiative aims to promote organized trading, enhance sanitation, and create sustainable jobs, particularly for women and youth in the informal sector.
“Government is committed to providing modern markets across all 261 Assemblies,” Hon. Ibrahim said. “These facilities will support a 24-hour economy, improve hygiene in our trading spaces, and help maintain the clean environment we are working so hard to achieve.”
He emphasized that many of Ghana’s traditional markets lack proper waste management systems, sanitation facilities, and drainage, contributing to filth and health risks in urban centers. The new markets, he noted, would feature waste disposal points, water systems, and hygienic stalls to support daily cleaning and waste segregation.
The Minister observed that sanitation challenges in urban Ghana differ from those in rural areas, explaining that while rural communities often call for schools and teachers’ quarters, cities like Accra require compactors, sweepers, and modern market infrastructure to sustain cleanliness.
Hon. Ibrahim joined the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, and the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) during the citywide clean-up operation, which covered major commercial zones such as Agbogbloshie, Kaneshie, Tuesday Market, and Kwame Nkrumah Interchange.
He commended the level of public participation and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to make sanitation a continuous civic practice.
