No Permit, No Billboard: Assemblies launch crackdown on illegal signage in Accra

In Accra, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have ramped up efforts to dismantle illegally installed billboards and advertising signs, as part of a concerted operation to clean up the city's advertising scene. This initiative, involving the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly, the government, and the Advertising Association of Ghana, aims to ensure all outdoor advertising structures adhere to regulations by mandating necessary permits.

Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, expressed full support for the MMDCEs in leading the operation within their areas. She emphasized it as a joint responsibility of the assemblies, not solely a Ministry concern, urging decisive action against unauthorized advertising structures.

According to Sowah, no entity can erect a billboard without first obtaining authorization from the relevant local assembly. She clarified that only assemblies can issue permits for such structures. Several billboards have already been removed as part of this ongoing effort, which targets all sizes of outdoor advertising structures.

The Advertising Association of Ghana expressed support for the exercise, acknowledging the challenges involved, especially with firmly anchored structures, but expressed confidence in the collaboration with the Ghana Highway Authority and Urban Roads to ensure success. Sowah also urged advertisers to voluntarily remove their unauthorized billboards to avoid additional costs, warning that dismantling will be carried out by the assemblies if structures remain.

This operation is part of the government's broader initiative to clean up urban environments, in line with President John Dramani Mahama's Reset Agenda. The assemblies are tasked with continuing enforcement within their jurisdictions, delivering a clear message to advertisers: No permit, no billboard.