The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has officially announced a new date for the National Sanitation Day (NSD), moving the event from April 5 to Saturday, May 3, 2025.
The upcoming exercise will be treated as an emergency clean-up operation, with full support from environmental service providers and strong government backing to ensure nationwide participation.
On May 3, the country will undergo an emergency evacuation, with environmental service providers deploying all necessary logistics in collaboration with the government.
This initiative will involve cleaning public spaces, desilting gutters, sending plastics to recycling plants, and managing organic waste. Minister Ibrahim expressed optimism, noting that public interest and support for the initiative continue to grow.
“The upcoming National Sanitation Day will be a nationwide emergency clean-up operation,” Minister Ibrahim stated. “Environmental service providers will be fully engaged, and the government will partner with them to ensure the success of this operation.”
The Minister made these remarks during a stakeholder engagement with key leaders of Christian faith-based institutions in the Greater Accra Region on Tuesday, April 15.
The meeting included representatives from the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Headquarters, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
This engagement is part of broader consultations with religious groups to rally national support and encourage community involvement in the sanitation drive.
Minister Ibrahim also outlined long-term plans to promote responsible waste management, including waste segregation and public education.
These measures aim to reduce the spread of sanitation-related diseases such as cholera. He mentioned that the government had already procured recycling equipment to better manage plastic waste and improve public hygiene.
While a nationwide ban on plastics is not yet planned, the government’s immediate focus is on strengthening recycling efforts. “We have recycling plants in operation across the country,” Ibrahim added. “What we need now is public education to encourage waste sorting at the household level.”
The Minister appealed to church leaders to leverage their platforms, especially during the Easter season, to promote cleanliness and support a national culture of sanitation.