{
  "id": 18110611,
  "title": "Up to 60% of Accra's 10,000 billboards are illegal – Advertising Association",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/up-to-60-of-accras-10-000-billboards-are-illegal-advertising",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-04T11:23:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "3News",
    "slug": "3news",
    "url": "https://3news.com/news/illegal-billboards-accra-advertising-association"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) has reported that up to 60% of the more than 10,000 billboards in Accra are likely illegal, citing lax enforcement by local assemblies. The AAG President, Andrew Ackah, highlighted that many structures violate traffic and building regulations, and some raise concerns about structural integrity and materials used. The association independently conducted the count, mapping the billboards and checking them against the law and technical guidelines for outdoor advertising. The main culprit, according to Ackah, is the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) responsible for issuing permits for outdoor advertising. The Ghana Standards Authority has established guidelines, but MMDAs are not enforcing them. Without stricter monitoring, Ackah warned, illegal billboards will continue to spring up. The AAG's standards require billboards to adhere to the Ghana Building Code, withstand wind and earthquake loads, have certified drawings approved by the assembly, and respect spacing and placement restrictions based on road speed limits. In August 2025, the Ministry of Roads and Highways cited an unauthorized billboard at the Flowerpot Interchange that violated the standard, the Road Traffic Act, and the Road Traffic Regulations. Ackah pointed to several congested areas in Accra, including Liberation Road, the roads around Accra Mall, and the 37 Military Hospital intersection. In July 2024, he revealed that 75% of the billboards on Spintex Road were unauthorized, with some operators operating without permits. Poorly constructed billboards can collapse, obstruct drivers' views, and impede traffic flow. In response to a request for a clean-up plan, MMDCEs were given seven days to remove unauthorized billboards in Greater Accra on April 28. The AAG's Executive Director, Isaac Cudjoe, welcomed the move but stressed the need for consistent enforcement. Some in the industry, like the Outdoor Advertisers Association, have petitioned the government to halt the demolition of median signs, advocating for smart regulation with a phased relocation plan and permits harmonized with road safety rules.",
  "summary": "Andrew Ackah, President of the Advertising Association of Ghana, reports that between 40% and 60% of the 10,000 advertising structures identified in Accra are illegal. According to Adom Online, the association conducted this assessment using its own resources by mapping the billboards and comparing them against technical guidelines and applicable laws. The findings indicate that many structures violate building and traffic regulations, while others present concerns regarding the quality of materials and structural integrity.\n\nAdom Online attributes the proliferation of these non-compliant structures to weak regulatory oversight by Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) responsible for issuing permits. 3News adds that the Advertising Association of Ghana blames weak permit enforcement by assemblies for the presence of unsafe and poorly placed boards crowding Accra's roadsides, despite demolitions occurring this year.",
  "key_points": [
    "Up to 60% of Accra's 10,000 billboards are likely illegal.",
    "Lax enforcement by MMDAs allows illegal billboard proliferation.",
    "Ghana Standards Authority guidelines not enforced by local assemblies."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Widespread failure by local assemblies to enforce building and traffic regulations turns Accra’s advertising landscape into a significant public safety risk through unregulated and potentially unstable structures.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "Almost 60% of Accra’s 10,000 billboards are illegal – Advertising Association",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/almost-60-of-accras-10-000-billboards-are-illegal-advertising",
        "published": "2026-11-04T10:47:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}