Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs
Also known as: MLGCRA
Government ministry overseeing local governance, chieftaincy affairs and religious matters; directs National Sanitation Day activities and local government TV platform establishment.
… She urged the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and other stakeholders to use the findings as an evidence base for targeted institutional support and policy reform. …
… The meeting, organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs under the theme: ‘Alleviating Waste Disposal Crisis in Greater Accra,’ brought together key actors in the sanitation sector at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City on June 8, 2026. …
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has outlined implementation arrangements for the government’s two-day National Flood Aftermath Clean-up Exercise, directing the participation of public institutions, communities and residents in seven flood-affec …
… He added that the exercise will also be supported by the various Regional Coordinating Councils. “The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has set up a working group comprising officers from Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Policy, Planning, Monitorin …
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has held an emergency meeting with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), Environmental Health Officers and Waste Management Directors from the Greater Accra Region to coordinate preparat …
… The waste management company said it had already begun activating its operational structures after discussions with the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs. …
… Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the Director for Local Governance and Decentralisation, Mr Samuel Seth Passah, highlighted the important role Regional Coordinating Councils play in providing technical oversight and coordi …
The Public Accounts Committee questioned the Central Regional Coordinating Council over GH¢14.88 million in payment vouchers processed outside Ghana's integrated financial management system, warning of further penalties if the breach recurs in future audits.
The Public Accounts Committee questioned the Central Regional Coordinating Council over GH¢14.88 million in payment vouchers processed outside Ghana's integrated financial management system, warning of further penalties if the breach recurs in future audits.
The Public Accounts Committee has summoned the Northern Regional Director of the Births and Deaths Registry to explain withdrawals totalling GH¢71,300 made between March 2024 and October 2025 without required payment vouchers and supporting documents. The Committee raised concerns over specific transactions, including withdrawals of GH¢15,800 and GH¢18,000, and disputed that producing documentation after the fact resolved procedural compliance issues.
The Ministry of Local Government has announced a programme assigning major streets in the nation's capital cities to private businesses—including banks, manufacturers, construction and logistics firms—to clean, green, light, and maintain them, with naming rights and advertising opportunities as incentives.
After assuring Parliament he would mobilise support for the National Cathedral project, Local Government Minister Mahama Ayariga has stated the government will not fund it and has ordered the contractor to hand over the site back to the government.
The government reports that only about 5% of Ghanaians can afford housing without assistance, while 60% require state-facilitated support and 30% cannot secure housing even with government subsidies. The government attributes the housing challenge to high land prices, rising construction costs, and limited access to affordable finance, and is implementing a National Mortgage Scheme offering financing at approximately 8.4% per annum with repayment periods up to 20 years.
Ghana's government has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to decent, safe, affordable and inclusive housing as the country marks World Habitat Day 2026. According to government-cited data, only about 5% of Ghanaians can secure housing without assistance, while approximately 60% require state-facilitated support and 30% remain unable to access housing even with government subsidies.
Tension escalated at Larteh-Akuapem in the Eastern Region on Saturday when a confrontation between the Larteh Kubease and Ahenease factions resulted in a chief being reportedly shot in the hand, prompting police to deploy tear gas and hospitalize at least two people. The road at Larteh Presby Junction was blocked, disrupting movement and raising fears of further escalation of the longstanding traditional dispute.
The Ghana Institute of Horticulturists called on the government to establish a Horticulture Authority and rehabilitate irrigation schemes and tomato-processing factories to boost domestic production and reduce reliance on imports. The call came at the Institute's 26th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference in Sunyani, which emphasised the need for coordinated stakeholder engagement across the tomato value chain.
President Mahama has directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to organise biannual accountability engagements in their jurisdictions through town hall meetings, extending the government's transparency agenda to local communities and enabling officials to account for implementation of government policies and programmes.
Ghana will observe National Sanitation Day on Saturday, October 3, 2026, as the country's national commemoration of World Cleanup Day 2026, with the global theme "From Clean Plates to Clean Cities" and Ghana's national theme "National Sanitation Day: Local Actions Yielding National Impact." The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs will join the Accra Metropolitan Assembly for a flagship exercise in Accra starting at 6:00 a.m. at Rawlings Park, and has called on all 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to mobilise communities and stakeholders to participate.
The Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive reported a major improvement in travel time on the Adenta-Accra corridor following the introduction of a contra-flow arrangement for Ayalolo Bus Rapid Transit services, with journeys completed in approximately 23 minutes during peak hours compared to the previous two-and-a-half hours. About 8,000 passengers were transported from Adenta towards Accra during the morning session of the first day of implementation on 29 September 2026.
President John Dramani Mahama will open a National Conference on Housing Finance in Accra on October 7–8, convened by the National Homeownership Fund to address financing challenges limiting access to affordable housing. The event will bring together stakeholders from government, financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society to explore financing models and reforms to improve housing access for low- and middle-income households.
Ghana's government will introduce contra-flow lanes for Ayalolo buses on the Amasaman–Accra, Adenta–Accra and Kasoa–Accra corridors from September 29, 2026, operating during peak hours (6–9 am and 4–8 pm) to reduce journey times and congestion into the CBD.
Ghana has hundreds of traditional markets spread across 16 administrative regions and 261 districts that serve as important economic hubs for retail trade, particularly in food and agricultural produce. These markets generate significant economic activity—with historical estimates placing average annual turnover at approximately US$4 million per location—and provide livelihoods for traders, porters, farmers, artisans and other small-scale businesses.
Ghana has hundreds of traditional markets across its 16 regions and 261 districts that serve as important economic hubs for accessing goods and services, with an average annual turnover of approximately US$4 million per location according to World Bank and USDA estimates. The government is implementing a 24-Hour Economy markets initiative to modernise these traditional markets.
The government has launched an emergency exercise to evacuate accumulated waste along the Odaw River at Agbogbloshie to address sanitation challenges and prevent flooding in Accra. President Mahama said the operation, expected to clear about one million tonnes within 90 days, will pave the way for the Agbogbloshie Urban Renewal Project, which includes plans for an industrial park and textile factory.
IMANI Africa and the Ministry of Local Government discussed reforms on sanitation, local revenue mobilisation, urban mobility and market redevelopment in a September 2026 engagement. The proposals include reorganising waste collection in Greater Accra into three operational blocks with transfer stations and a two-bin household waste separation system.
The Chronicle editorial argues that President Mahama's "Resetting Ghana" agenda, presented as correcting past mistakes and driving progress, should move beyond political rhetoric and become a national attitude reflected in public institutions and everyday conduct.
A 90-day operation has begun to remove one million metric tonnes of waste from Agbogbloshie, Old Fadama and surrounding communities to restore the Korle Lagoon and support urban renewal, including plans for a textile industry. President Mahama commissioned the exercise, which is being led by the Ministry of Local Government with support from the Ghana Armed Forces and will transport waste to the Adepa landfill site at Nsawam.
Ghana's plan to remove one million metric tonnes of waste from Agbogbloshie, Old Fadama and adjoining communities within 90 days is necessary to address Accra's sanitation crisis, but sustained enforcement of bye-laws will be essential to prevent renewed dumping once the operation ends.
President John Mahama announced that the Ghana Armed Forces will be deployed for emergency operations and national development projects beyond military combat, citing the 48 Engineer Regiment's involvement in waste evacuation from Agbogbloshie and clearing the Accra-Kumasi Expressway as examples of coordinated government efforts to address national challenges.
President John Dramani Mahama commissioned the evacuation of approximately one million tonnes of accumulated waste from Agbogbloshie in Accra to the Adepa Engineered Landfill Site near Nsawam, expected to take 90 days as part of a National Emergency Waste Evacuation Exercise led by the Ministry of Local Government in collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces.
The government has begun evacuating a decades-old waste heap at Jamestown with support from the Ghana Armed Forces and the District Road Improvement Programme, transporting waste to the Adepa Waste Centre at Nsawam as part of a nationwide waste evacuation exercise targeting selected landfill sites.
The Department of Community Development has introduced five transformational strategies: the Green Communities Initiative, Multi-Purpose Community Centres Initiative, Clean Communities Initiative, Child Safe Communities Initiative, and Community Diaspora Partnership Programme. The initiatives aim to empower communities to identify and address their own challenges, with the Green Communities Initiative specifically promoting tree planting, income generation for women and youth, and reclamation of lands affected by illegal mining.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Kwadaso has urged residents to embrace a household dustbin project initiated by the Assembly's Environmental Department to reduce indiscriminate littering and improve sanitation and hygiene. Environmental Health Officers will supervise the exercise to ensure the bins are used as intended.
Minister Ahmed Ibrahim, reassigned from Local Government to Works, Housing and Water Resources in President Mahama's August 7 ministerial reshuffle, described the move as divinely guided, citing coincidences including receiving a Bible while preaching when news of the reshuffle reached him.
The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs pledged a crackdown on sanitation indiscipline in Accra, warning that polluters and property rate defaulters will face enforcement. He argued that the capital's waste management crisis can be solved if Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies aggressively collect their Internally Generated Funds and enforce the polluter-pay principle, with factories, businesses and residents paying for the waste they generate rather than relying on the District Assemblies Common Fund.
Newly appointed Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs Mahama Ayariga has called for a major overhaul of Ghana's waste management system to make collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal more efficient, following a tour of waste management facilities in the Greater Accra Region.