Questions are already emerging over whether Accra’s latest waste management blueprint will deliver results or become another policy document with little visible impact, following the launch of a 10-year Solid Waste Optimisation Strategy by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) backed by development finance support and grant funding from the African Development Bank.
The launch follows a series of recurring waste management plans, clean-up campaigns and policy interventions that have struggled to permanently address challenges, including indiscriminate dumping, poor waste segregation, clogged drains and persistent sanitation concerns across the capital.
The announcement has also sparked criticism from some residents, who argue that Accra has seen numerous sanitation initiatives over the years without corresponding improvements on the ground. While welcoming the Assembly’s latest policy direction, some said the priority should now be implementation rather than another strategy document.
One resident pointed to the rising cost of waste disposal, arguing that refuse collectors using aboboyaa are now charging “exorbitant prices” because they struggle to access designated dump sites, and urged the Assembly to address disposal infrastructure alongside policy reforms while “hoping for the best”.
Another resident observed that while the AMA had established the policy direction, the “missing component” remained the operational infrastructure needed to enable households, waste collectors, recyclers and municipalities to effectively participate in source separation at scale.
Others were more blunt, saying there had been “too much talk” and calling on the Assembly to focus on delivering cleaner streets. Some described parts of Accra, particularly the Central Business District, as increasingly unsanitary and questioned why routine street sweeping and waste collection could not be intensified.
City authorities, however, insist the latest initiative is different, pointing to completed technical and financial studies, growing interest from financiers and support from international development partners as evidence that the strategy is moving beyond planning into implementation, with stakeholders stressing the need to ensure it does not remain “on the shelf.”
The strategy, launched on June 24, is designed to guide waste management interventions between 2025 and 2035, focusing on source separation, composting, resource recovery, improved sanitation infrastructure and reduced reliance on landfill disposal.
According to the AMA, technical, financial, environmental and social studies conducted with support from the C40 Cities Finance Facility have positioned the Waste Source Separation and Composting Project for implementation. The Assembly said the project has already attracted “significant interest” from financing institutions and secured grant support from the African Development Bank.
Mayor of Accra Michael Kpakpo Allotey, whose remarks were delivered by Presiding Member Musah Ziyad, said waste management remains one of the city’s “most pressing environmental and public health challenges.” He noted that the strategy would promote waste reduction, source separation, resource recovery and composting while improving environmental outcomes for residents.
The Mayor described the African Development Bank support as a major milestone, saying it reflected confidence in Accra’s ability to deliver “transformative climate action” and modernise its waste management systems.
The strategy also forms part of the city’s climate agenda, with authorities seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector while improving resilience against flooding, air pollution and other environmental risks.
Charlotte Beck of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the project aligns with the Ghana-UK Growth Partnership announced during President John Dramani Mahama’s recent visit to London. She described the initiative as a practical example of climate finance aimed at “unlocking financing,” strengthening institutions and developing investment-ready infrastructure.
National Coordinator of the Cities Finance Facility, Abraham Afful, acknowledged the importance of implementation, stressing that the objective was to ensure the strategy did not remain “on the shelf” but translated into practical interventions capable of delivering visible improvements in waste management, public health and climate outcomes.
The AMA expects the strategy to support job creation, strengthen governance and financing arrangements in the waste sector, reduce illegal dumping and open burning, and improve public health outcomes across the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area.
