Accra to Host First National Sanitation Day Exercise on January 10
By: Isaac Boamah Darko
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced that the first National Sanitation Day (NSD) exercise for 2026 will take place across the metropolis on Saturday, January 10, 2026. The clean-up exercise, which was initially scheduled for January 3, has been rescheduled to accommodate Christmas and New Year trading activities in the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra ¹.
What to Expect
The AMA will deploy Public Health Officers, known as “Sama-Sama,” along with the Sanitation Taskforce, sweepers, and janitors to facilitate desilting, refuse collection, and safe disposal of waste at approved sites. Cleansing activities will focus on:
- Desilting and cleaning drains: Removing waste and debris from drains to prevent flooding and sanitation-related health hazards
- Sweeping streets and lanes: Keeping streets and lanes clean and free of litter
- Removal of unauthorized banners and posters: Removing unauthorized advertisements and posters
- General clean-up operations: Cleaning markets, lorry parks, and other public spaces
Key Locations
The exercise will cover all electoral areas, communities, markets, and the CBD, with intensified work planned at selected key locations, including:
- Cable and Wireless enclave in Okaikoi South
- Agbogbloshie Market and its surroundings
- Central Business District
Participation and Penalties
The AMA urges all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and other business entities to participate in the exercise. Failure to comply with the sanitation directive or refusal to participate in communal labor constitutes an offense, punishable by a fine of up to 100 penalty units or imprisonment for a term of not less than 30 days and not more than six months, or both .