The Western Region has commenced preparations towards the effective implementation of the re-introduced National Sanitation Day (NSD), following its official national launch by the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, on Saturday, 6th September 2025, at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Ogbojo–Madina.
At a stakeholders’ engagement meeting chaired by the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Nelson, Environmental Health Directors, Coordinating Directors, and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) from the 14 Assemblies in the region deliberated on modalities for rolling out the monthly clean-up exercise.
Hon. Nelson expressed concern about entrenched Ghanaian attitudes that encourage insanitary living and urged Assemblies to design effective strategies to keep their catchment areas consistently clean. He particularly appealed to religious leaders present to dedicate time in their sermons to preach against poor sanitation, noting that:
“Just as congregations listen to messages of salvation to live upright lives, they will also heed the call to keep their environment clean.”
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment to mobilise communities, enforce sanitation by-laws, and intensify public education in readiness for the first National Sanitation Day exercise in the region.
National Launch by the President
The Western Region’s efforts are in direct response to the President’s call during the national launch of the NSD. At the ILGS, President Mahama underscored the critical role of sanitation in improving public health, boosting tourism, and accelerating socio-economic development. He reminded Ghanaians that while progress has been made, poor waste management still undermines the nation’s growth.
“The National Sanitation Day is a call to action; an opportunity for each of us, regardless of political affiliation, social standing, ethnicity, or religious beliefs, to unite in keeping our surroundings clean,” the President declared.
The re-introduced NSD, which will be observed on the first Saturday of every month, builds on the success of the earlier exercise (2014–2016), which mobilised communities nationwide to desilt drains, clear refuse, and reclaim public spaces. To complement the initiative, government has rolled out supporting programmes, including the Blue Water River Guards to protect water bodies, the Tree for Life Restoration Project to promote afforestation, and the upgrade of Environmental Health and Sanitation Units into fully resourced departments.
The President also announced a Cleanest City Award to motivate Assemblies and indicated that sanitation performance indicators will be integrated into the assessment of MMDCEs. As part of the launch, he presented sanitation tools to Buzstop Boys, acknowledging their grassroots efforts and urging youth to emulate their example.
Declaring the exercise officially launched, President Mahama appealed to all stakeholders—traditional rulers, religious leaders, schools, civil society, businesses, and the media—to drive awareness and participation, stressing that communal labour and environmental responsibility must remain a hallmark of Ghana’s national identity.
