AMA Orders Closure of Shops for First National Sanitation Day Clean-Up

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has directed the closure of all shops and markets within the metropolis this Saturday, October 4, 2025, to pave the way for the maiden National Sanitation Day clean-up exercise following its official launch by the President.

According to the Assembly, the citywide exercise will begin at 6 a.m. and shops are to remain closed until the activity is completed. The directive forms part of efforts to rid Accra of filth, improve public health, and strengthen communal responsibility for a cleaner and more resilient city.

The clean-up exercise is being carried out under the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (Communal Labour) Bye-Laws, 2017, enacted pursuant to the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), which mandates the first Saturday of every month as National Sanitation Day.

All Assembly Members are expected to mobilize residents within their electoral areas to ensure a coordinated and efficient operation across the metropolis. Major clean-up activities will be concentrated in areas such as Agbogbloshie, Tuesday Market, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and its environs, Kwasiadwaso, and Kaneshie Market, where teams will desilt drains, clear refuse, and tidy market precincts to help reduce flooding and health risks.

The AMA has urged residents, traders, and shop owners to actively participate in the exercise, stressing that Public Health Officers will be deployed to monitor compliance and enforce the temporary closure directive.

The Assembly further warned that failure to comply amounts to an offence punishable by a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment for not less than 30 days and not more than six months, or both. Offenders who continue to breach the directive may also face additional daily penalties.

The statement was signed by Gilbert Nii Ankrah, Head of Public Affairs, on behalf of the Metro Chief Executive.