Accra, August 28, 2025 — Authorities have announced plans for a new decongestion exercise at the Agbogbloshie onion market after scrap dealers returned to the site, four years after a landmark demolition cleared the area.
The Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly, in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, will lead the operation aimed at removing encroachers and restoring order at the once-notorious location.
Background of Agbogbloshie Cleanup
Agbogbloshie, long branded one of the world’s dirtiest e-waste dumpsites, gained infamy for uncontrolled burning of electronic waste that posed severe environmental and health hazards.
On July 1, 2021, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC), backed by armed police, demolished makeshift structures and evicted about 10,000 scrap dealers as part of a government-led cleanup. Portions of the reclaimed land were later earmarked for a district hospital under the government’s Agenda 111 initiative.
Encroachers Return
Despite the intervention, scrap dealers have gradually reclaimed parts of the land, sparking fresh concerns over pollution, lawlessness, and stalled development projects.
Speaking at a meeting of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on Thursday, Ablekuma Central Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Frank Nkansah, described the development as alarming.
“Together with the regional minister, we have decided to decongest the Agbogbloshie onion site again. She has given us a representative, and the IGP has also provided a team to work with,” Mr. Nkansah said.
Broader Clean-Up Campaign
Mr. Nkansah further revealed that in two weeks, the Assembly, in partnership with the Ghana Prisons Service, will extend cleanup efforts to the South Industrial Area, another hotspot facing congestion and sanitation challenges.
Residents and traders have expressed mixed reactions—some welcoming the move as necessary to restore order, while others fear the displacement will reignite social tensions as witnessed in 2021.
Analysts say the outcome of this renewed operation will test government’s commitment to enforcing urban planning regulations and addressing Accra’s long-standing environmental challenges.
Source – My News Ghana
