The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has pledged institutional support for an ongoing community-driven initiative to improve sanitation and restore the environment around the June 4th Market at Agbogbloshie.
The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, made the commitment on Thursday, September 24, 2026, when he visited the area to inspect a clean-up and environmental restoration project being implemented by The Or Foundation in collaboration with community volunteers.
The initiative is focused on removing accumulated waste from a canal that connects to the Korle Lagoon, while also introducing measures aimed at reducing the flow of waste into the waterway.
Mr Allotey said the AMA is prepared to work with The Or Foundation to establish a more regular waste management system around the project and help sustain the progress already achieved.
He described the initiative as an example of how partnerships between local authorities, communities and civil society organisations could contribute to addressing some of Accra’s persistent sanitation challenges.
According to the Mayor, the approach could be adapted for use in other parts of the metropolis where environmental degradation and poor waste management continue to affect communities.
He commended The Or Foundation and the volunteers for undertaking what he described as a challenging but necessary intervention, stressing that its benefits extended beyond individual beneficiaries to the wider community.
Mr Allotey also acknowledged the financial and operational pressures facing the Assembly but assured the project team that the AMA would provide the institutional support within its capacity.
He said the partnership would also create an opportunity for the Assembly and the Foundation to exchange knowledge and identify practical approaches to improving sanitation and environmental management across Accra.
The Head of Environmental Justice at The Or Foundation, Katia Osei, explained that the project followed an assessment of the canal network and surrounding communities.
She said the Foundation examined the area’s waste patterns, community conditions, aerial imagery and historical information linked to the June 4th Market and the Korle Lagoon before designing the intervention.
Ms Osei disclosed that approximately 300 metres of the canal had so far been cleared.
She added that erosion-control measures and movable plastic barriers had also been installed to minimise the movement of waste into the canal and provide additional protection during periods of heavy rainfall.
The Environmental Field Operations Lead, David Kwabena Akpablie, said community participation in the exercise had expanded significantly since its inception.
He said the original core group had grown into a wider network involving more than 60 community volunteers who now contribute to the clean-up and environmental restoration activities.
Mr Akpablie stressed that the project is not intended to be another temporary clean-up exercise.
Rather, he said, the Foundation was working towards establishing a comprehensive waste management system that included sorting materials recovered from the canal.
Textiles, plastics and other forms of waste are being separated as part of efforts to identify opportunities for recovery, recycling and reuse.
The Foundation said its vision extended beyond simply removing waste from the canal.
It plans to restore and green portions of the surrounding land while developing waste management mechanisms that can encourage recycling and contribute to a circular economy.
The project therefore seeks to combine environmental restoration with longer-term systems that can reduce the recurrence of waste accumulation in the area.
The AMA’s commitment is expected to strengthen collaboration between the Assembly, The Or Foundation and community members as efforts continue to improve sanitation and protect waterways around Agbogbloshie.
By 1960news.com
