Accra Mayor urges traders to sweep their surroundings every hour

Written by; Regina Bless

The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has urged traders within the Central Business District to sweep and clean their immediate surroundings every hour to help maintain cleanliness in the capital.

He made the call on Saturday, September 5, 2026, during an inspection of the September National Sanitation Day exercise with the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga.

The inspection began at the Kinbu Traffic Light and continued through Tudu and other principal streets in the metropolis to assess compliance among traders and businesses.

Addressing traders at Tudu, Mayor Allotey said the National Sanitation Day exercise was here to stay but stressed that keeping Accra clean should not be limited to the first Saturday of every month.

He urged traders to take responsibility for the areas where they operate by regularly sweeping and removing litter throughout the day.

According to him, cleaning their surroundings every hour would prevent waste from accumulating in busy commercial areas.

The Mayor commended traders for the level of cleanliness observed during the exercise but urged them to maintain the same standard on normal working days.

He also emphasised the importance of sanitation in protecting public health, warning that residents should not have to spend their hard-earned income treating illnesses that could be prevented through proper environmental hygiene.

During the inspection, Minister Mahama Ayariga joined the Mayor and traders at Tudu in demonstrating the importance of personal responsibility for sanitation. He took a broom from one of the traders and personally swept a section of the street, while both the Minister and Mayor picked up litter along the route.

Mr Ayariga said he was encouraged by the level of participation in the exercise but stressed that environmental cleanliness must become a daily habit rather than an activity reserved for the first Saturday of every month.

He urged residents to pick up waste whenever they encountered it and dispose of it properly.

The Minister also disclosed that the government was developing a national sanitation strategy to address challenges affecting waste collection, including inadequate waste bins and difficulties in accessing some densely populated communities.

He said the strategy would guide the deployment of appropriate waste bins and waste collection systems across communities.

The exercise forms part of ongoing efforts by the government and local authorities to improve sanitation, promote responsible waste disposal and make Accra a cleaner and healthier city.