The Deputy Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, has announced the commencement of a nationwide exercise to regulate and standardise billboards and signage, beginning with the Greater Accra Region.
She disclosed this while engaging the media after a monitoring tour as part of activities marking the ongoing National Sanitation Week.
Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, who is also the Chairperson of the 15-member Technical Committee on the Regulation and Standardization of Signage across Ghana, said the initiative aims to address the uncontrolled spread of billboards and signage, which she noted affects visibility, pedestrian safety, and the cleanliness of major cities.
According to her, the committee, working closely with Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies, has already mapped out and removed some billboards in Accra, with more expected to be pulled down in the coming days. Notices have already been sent to some billboard owners.
She explained that most of the signages are temporary structures and assemblies have the authority to remove any that obstruct human view, road medians and pedestrian walkways.
The Minister cautioned owners of unauthorised or poorly sited billboards to take note, stressing that the exercise will continue as part of efforts to make Accra and other cities cleaner, safer and more accessible for pedestrians.
She also called on the public and billboard operators to cooperate with the committee to ensure the successful execution of the exercise.
