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President John Dramani Mahama has declared Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, 2026, as National General Cleaning Days in the seven regions affected by the recent floods.
The directive, announced by the Presidency on Monday, forms part of the government’s post-flood recovery efforts under the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee.
The two-day exercise, themed “Our Actions, Our Future: Cleaning Ghana after the floods,” aims to mobilise citizens to clean their communities, protect the environment and reduce the risk of future flooding.
In a statement signed by the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Presidency described the exercise as a critical national intervention and urged all Ghanaians to participate.
“This is a critical, nationwide exercise and all citizens are strongly encouraged to fully participate in it,” the statement said.
President Mahama has directed all government appointees, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Chief Executive Officers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), and heads of public institutions to lead the clean-up exercise in their respective communities.
According to the Presidency, personnel from the security services, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and waste management companies will begin the exercise on Friday, July 10, while members of the general public are expected to join on Saturday, July 11.
The nationwide clean-up will focus on desilting choked drains, clearing sand, weeds and debris from roads, cleaning markets, lorry parks, recreational parks and other public spaces, as well as removing waste from communal collection points.
Government said the initiative is intended not only to restore communities affected by the floods but also to address long-standing sanitation challenges that continue to worsen flooding across the country.
The Presidency blamed indiscriminate littering and plastic pollution for blocking drainage systems, contributing to avoidable flooding that has destroyed property and claimed lives in recent years.
“For far too long, indiscriminate littering and plastic pollution have clogged our drainage systems, contributing to devastating, preventable floods that destroy livelihoods and claim precious Ghanaian lives,” the statement noted.
To ensure the success of the exercise, all MMDAs have been directed to work closely with waste management companies to provide refuse trucks, gloves, shovels and other cleaning equipment. Authorities have also been instructed to ensure that collected refuse and silt are transported immediately to approved disposal sites to prevent them from being washed back into drains.
The announcement follows the severe flooding that affected several communities across southern Ghana, particularly in the Greater Accra Region, leaving behind widespread destruction, displacement and loss of lives.
As part of ongoing emergency response efforts, the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces has already launched Operation Boafo, a flood rescue and evacuation exercise to assist residents in affected communities.
Government says the National General Cleaning Days form part of broader measures aimed at improving sanitation, strengthening disaster preparedness and reducing the impact of future floods across the country.
