AAG demands clarity over billboard demolition exercise
The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) has called for transparency, due process and structured stakeholder engagement in the ongoing billboard demolition exercise across major cities in the country.
It said that while the AAG fully supported lawful efforts to sanitise the country’s outdoor advertising space, the current enforcement action lacked a clearly communicated implementation framework.
“The demolition activities we have witnessed appear to lack a clear communication of an implementation framework.
There has been no published phased plan, no documented categorisation of structures,” the President of the association, Andrew Ackah, said at a news conference in Accra yesterday.
“Again, there is no consistent enforcement sequence.
These create uncertainty and expose legitimate businesses to sudden operational and financial losses without just cause, clarity on compliance expectations and many more,” he added.
Demolition exercise
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, through a multi-sectoral technical committee, is enforcing the regulation and standardisation of outdoor signage nationwide.
The exercise aims to improve urban aesthetics, safety and order by curbing the indiscriminate, allegedly illegal and poorly placed billboards that affect pedestrians and motorists.
Concerns
Mr Ackah said the association agreed that the country’s cityscape must be safe, aesthetically pleasing, properly regulated and aligned with national planning standards, public safety and environmental responsibility.
However, he stressed that law-abiding businesses should not be unfairly affected by the process.
He indicated that reform without structure risked being perceived as arbitrary, even if the intention was corrective.
He noted that comprehensive standards already existed under the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), specifically the Advertisement — Specification for Outdoor Signs.
The guidelines, developed in collaboration with key institutions, including local assemblies, engineering bodies and road authorities, require that all billboard structures comply with the Ghana Building Code, withstand wind and seismic loads and be supported by certified drawings approved by the relevant Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
The standards also regulate spacing between billboards based on speed limits, prohibit signs mounted on road medians and restrict advertisements on pedestrian walkways and cycle paths.
According to Mr Ackah, the clutter in the outdoor space had reached alarming levels, flouting carefully curated guidelines intended to ensure safety and order.
Audit findings
The AAG president revealed that audits conducted by the association, including one under the auspices of the National Road Safety Authority in 2024, uncovered disturbing levels of congestion and non-compliance.
He cited the 13-kilometre stretch from the Accra Mall through Spintex Road to the Sakumono Junction, where more than 300 billboards were recorded, although the number should not exceed 100 under standard requirements.
Many of the structures, Mr Ackah said, lacked structural integrity, obstructed traffic signs and lights, blocked drivers’ sight lines and failed to meet uniformity standards.
Those conditions, he warned, posed serious risks to road users.
“The same chaos and blunders can be said to be occurring on many of the highways and arterial roads in major cities, particularly in Accra and Kumasi.
Notable areas include the KNUST Junction to Adum in Kumasi, the 37 Military Hospital intersection, the Kawukudi crossroads enclave, the entire stretch of the Liberation Road, the Accra Mall area and the Tetteh Quashie Interchange area en route to Adentan, all in Accra.
“Most roundabouts, intersections and junctions in our cities have the worst clutter,” Mr Ackah said.
Structured engagement
He said the association welcomed the establishment of a technical working committee by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to address the outdoor advertising situation.
However, Mr Ackah stated that the industry had expected structured, direct and continuous engagement prior to enforcement actions.
He said there had been no comprehensive stakeholder forum to outline the committee’s full mandate, the scope of targeted structures, the criteria for demolition, timelines for enforcement or compliance expectations under GS 847:2019, the guiding regulation.
“An exercise affecting many business owners and thousands of workers requires transparency, a phased and structured decongestion plan, a defined compliance window for operators, clear categorisation of affected structures and an established grievance or appeal mechanism,” he said.
Mr Ackah appealed to the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to ensure clarity and direction in the process.
He emphasised that the AAG’s position was not adversarial but collaborative.
The AAG president said the association remained committed to supporting lawful regulation, ensuring compliance with safety and planning standards and protecting the integrity of the country’s urban spaces.
He added that the AAG had developed constructive recommendations and was prepared to present them formally to the authorities as part of a structured reform process.
