Communities in the eastern corridor of the Greater Accra Region face a looming sanitation crisis as the only operational landfill serving the area could reach full capacity within weeks, authorities have warned.
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, raised the alarm during an inspection of the Tema Controlled Dumpsite at Kpone on Monday, February 23, 2026. The visit followed briefings to the Ministry indicating that the facility—used for the final disposal of hospital, domestic and industrial waste from eastern Accra is nearing exhaustion.
“If critical steps are not taken, in about one month, the entire eastern part of Accra, covering about 10 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, will have nowhere to dump their waste,” Mr Ibrahim said.
He cautioned that waste haulers could be forced to transport refuse as far as Nsawam, a move he described as financially and logistically unsustainable.
“Yes, it is true. We are sitting on a sanitation time bomb,” the Minister added.
Emergency Meeting Convened
Mr Ibrahim said approximately $25 million from the World Bank had previously been earmarked for landfill development, while a private-sector-led integrated waste management treatment plant is under construction at Agomeda. However, delays in implementing these interventions have worsened the situation.
He noted that building a properly engineered landfill could take between six months and over a year, underscoring the need for immediate interim solutions.
In response, the Minister has convened an emergency meeting with the Greater Accra Regional Minister and all 29 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region on Friday, February 27, 2026. Each assembly is expected to present a detailed report on sanitation and landfill management within its jurisdiction.
The outcome of the meeting will be compiled into a Cabinet Information Paper for consideration.
“The President will be there, the Minister for Finance will be there, and the Ministers for Lands, Water and Health will all be there. We will take decisive action,” Mr Ibrahim assured.
Operational Challenges Mount
Meanwhile, the Minister has directed the contractor managing the Kpone facility to enforce strict safety protocols, including mandatory use of personal protective equipment, to protect workers and informal waste pickers.
The Head of Waste Management at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Bertha Essel, disclosed that the dumpsite—originally designed to operate for between 15 and 25 years—has significantly exceeded its projected lifespan.
“The design airspace of 16 metres has been exhausted. We are now operating beyond 24 metres,” she said.
She cited recurring fire outbreaks, leachate overflow, deteriorating access roads and congestion from daily waste inflows estimated between 600 and 800 tonnes as major operational challenges.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Kpone-Katamanso, Samuel Morton, also recalled a major fire outbreak at the landfill in January 2026 that left nearby communities enveloped in smoke for several days.
“It nearly resulted in demonstrations by residents. People are worried about their health and the safety of their children,” he said.
Anthony Atidzornu, a contractor with Waste Landfills Company Ltd, warned that the increasing height of waste heaps has made fire control more difficult. He added that leachate management and heavy vehicular traffic during peak disposal hours pose additional safety risks.
Authorities say urgent measures are required to avert a full-blown sanitation emergency in the region.
