The government has begun a 90-day operation to evacuate an estimated one million tonnes of accumulated waste from Agbogbloshie in Accra.
President John Dramani Mahama commissioned the exercise on Thursday, September 17, 2026, as part of efforts to address the longstanding sanitation and environmental challenges in the area.
The waste is being transported to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Site near Nsawam in the Eastern Region for controlled disposal, compaction and covering.
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is leading the exercise in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces and DRIP.
A drone-assisted artificial intelligence assessment was used to estimate the volume of waste at about one million tonnes.
President Mahama said the exercise would demonstrate government’s ability to deploy its own resources to address a longstanding national challenge.
“We are deploying heavy equipment which was secured under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), including tipper trucks, excavators, bulldozers, and wheel loaders to confront this longstanding national challenge.”
He said the operation would also help reclaim the area for future development.
The President said the government wants to end open dumping and burning at the site, which he said had endangered lives and damaged the environment.
The operation is being financed by the Ministry of Finance, with additional support from the District Assemblies Common Fund.
The Ghana Armed Forces, particularly the 48 Engineers Regiment, is providing operational and engineering support.
President Mahama appealed to residents to cooperate with personnel involved in the exercise.
He said the exercise forms part of a broader plan to transform the area through the proposed Agbogbloshie Urban Renewal Project.
