Agbogbloshie waste evacuation to take 90 days as one million tonnes of waste are being transferred – Mahama

The evacuation of waste from the Agbogbloshie landfill to the Adepa Waste Centre at Nsawam is expected to take 90 days, with approximately one million tonnes of waste targeted for removal.

President John Dramani Mahama made this announcement on Friday, September 18, 2026, when he commissioned the evacuation exercise at the Agbogbloshie landfill site under the National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise.

The exercise forms part of government’s efforts to address the accumulation of waste at the Agbogbloshie site and improve environmental and sanitation conditions in the area.

President Mahama said the success of the exercise would depend not only on the removal of the waste but also on measures to ensure that the site does not become a dumping ground again.

He said he had given clear instructions to the Minister for Local Government to ensure that the site remains free from further dumping after the evacuation.

“The success of this exercise will depend as much on what happens after the evacuation as on the removal of the debris,” Mahama said.

He stressed the need for sustained measures to protect the cleared site and prevent a recurrence of the waste situation.

President Mahama also announced that the Ghana Armed Forces would support efforts to protect the site following the evacuation.

The support is intended to help prevent illegal dumping and ensure that the area is not used as a dumpsite again after the exercise.

The President said the long-term success of the intervention would require cooperation among government institutions, local authorities, security agencies and residents.

Under the exercise, approximately one million tonnes of accumulated waste are expected to be transported from Agbogbloshie to the Adepa Waste Centre at Nsawam over a period of 90 days.

The evacuation is being undertaken as part of the National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise, which seeks to address major waste management challenges and improve sanitation across the country.

The Agbogbloshie site has for years been associated with significant waste accumulation, making its evacuation a major undertaking for authorities.

President Mahama said government would pay attention not only to the immediate removal of the waste but also to the management and protection of the site afterwards.