The slum along the Korle Lagoon in Accra is set to undergo redevelopment in the coming days, Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Mahama Ayariga has announced.

Addressing the media on Thursday, September 4, Mr Mahama Ayariga noted that the area will be redeveloped into multi-storey homes made from converted shipping containers. According to him, the project will set off after the military has evacuated people from the area and cleared the dumpsite of waste.

He disclosed added that the then be taken to the Adepa Waste Management Centre in Nsawam for disposal or processing.

“If Ghanaians see us clear this mess, Ghanaians will say, ‘Okay, you have cleared the mess. But if you leave these people here, they will create the mess again.So please, just finish it for us. When you are doing that, you have everybody’s support.

“And I’m saying that even these people, we’re not going to move them out of this location. I don’t believe in doing that. I’m saying we are going to mobilise international support, local support and just redevelop the area into more liveable spaces.”

“I can assure you that many of the people sitting here are from my hometown. I know where my people are in Accra, so I will be the last person to approach them with an inhumane face. I will treat them as brothers and sisters who have also come to Accra to see what the city can do for them.”

Korle Lagoon is a coastal water body in Accra, Ghana, located just west of the city centre. Once a vital fishing and flood-control basin, it is now infamous as one of the most polluted lagoons in West Africa due to urban waste, industrial effluents, and e-waste contamination.

Ghana generates an estimated 840,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year. According to the Auditor General (A-G), only about 9.5% of this waste undergoes recycling, highlighting an urgent need for enhanced waste management and recycling strategies.

The report reads, “Ghana generates approximately 840,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year and approximately 9.5% of what is collected is recycled and the rest are indiscriminately disposed of without regard to its environmental impact”.

A visit by the Independent Ghana team to two rivers in Accra, such as the Odaw River near the Agbogbloshie market, painted a bleak picture.Similarly, the Chemu Lagoon in the Ablekuma South Municipality serves as another striking example of the issue.

The absence of waste bins and the weak enforcement of disposal laws have turned the lagoon into a dumping ground.Residents cited insufficient infrastructure and security as reasons for dumping waste directly into the waterway, with many claiming they had no alternative due to the lack of designated disposal sites.

In response to the growing crisis, the Ghanaian government has introduced various initiatives aimed at tackling plastic waste.These efforts started in 2008 with a ban on plastic production and imports. In 2011, a Plastic Waste Recycling Fund was established, and a 10% Environmental Excise Tax was levied on imported plastics to support recycling and waste management programs.

The government also introduced the National Plastics Management Policy in 2020, which seeks to manage plastic waste across its entire lifecycle and promote a circular economy for plastics.

Despite these measures, the issue of proper plastic waste disposal remains a significant challenge, exacerbated by low awareness regarding safe and sustainable disposal practices such as segregation, recycling, and controlled incineration.This issue undermines the promises made by President Akufo-Addo to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

The continued improper disposal of plastic waste is not only polluting Ghana's rivers and seas but also putting local communities and wildlife at risk.

Although the government has made several attempts to address the sanitation crisis in Greater Accra, many of these initiatives have failed to achieve lasting impact.

In November 2017, President Akufo-Addo launched the National Sanitation Campaign, which was aligned with his pledge to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa by 2020.

“By the end of the four years of my term in office as president, Accra will be the cleanest city in Africa.” President Akufo Addo delivered this speech with a burning zeal in 2017.

However, progress in plastic waste management has been hindered by ineffective collaboration between the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) and other stakeholders.

This lack of coordination has resulted in isolated efforts, overlooking opportunities for collaboration that could have enhanced the overall effectiveness of tackling plastic waste.The AG's report highlights that MESTI's efforts to educate the public on proper plastic waste disposal have been fragmented, with inconsistent and poorly coordinated campaigns.

This disjointed approach, according to the AG, has contributed to the ongoing improper disposal of plastic waste in open drains, littering, and open burning.

As a result, the AG has recommended that MESTI develop and disseminate a cohesive communication strategy, target specific audiences, and collaborate with the private sector and local authorities to incorporate awareness into their annual action plans.

Additionally, the Ministry said it should implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system to assess the impact of awareness campaigns and inform future initiatives.

“We assessed whether measures put in place by MESTI to sensitise the public and to promote the segregation, collection and recycling, or responsible disposal are ensuring that the environment is not littered with used plastics. We sought to find out whether MESTI has developed a cohesive and streamlined communication strategy.

The Ministry's efforts to educate the public on plastic waste disposal were disjointed, lacking coordination and consistency. Consequently, the public continues to improperly dispose of plastic waste by dumping them in open drains, littering, and open burning.

“The Director of PPBME develops and disseminates a communication strategy targeting specific audiences, outlining campaign frequency and channels. Collaborate with the private sector and MMDAs to integrate awareness creation into their annual action plans and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism to assess the impact of awareness campaigns and guide future initiatives,”it added.