According to the ministry, only 25% of Ghanaian households have access to improved, non-shared toilet facilities. Meanwhile, 18% of the national population continues to practise open defecation, with the Upper East Region recording rates as high as 49%.

Speaking in Accra during a stakeholder engagement to mark World Toilet Day, Minister Ibrahim described the situation as unacceptable for a lower-middle-income country. He attributed the slow progress to households treating toilet facilities as optional, chronic underfunding of sanitation systems, rapid urbanisation, and weak enforcement of sanitation bye-laws by local assemblies.

“Our urban population is rapidly growing at 3.3% annually, one of the highest in Africa, and has overtaken the pace of urban sanitation infrastructure development. In Accra alone, the population has grown by more than 60% in the last two decades, but the expansion of sewerage systems has been minimal,” he said.

Mr Ibrahim called for a complete overhaul in attitudes toward sanitation, stressing that a “Toilet for All” agenda can only be achieved through shared responsibility. He urged households to invest in private toilets, traditional leaders to enforce community norms, and local assemblies to penalise non-compliance to drive behavioural change.

With open gutters displaying all manner of waste, the looming threat of floods exacerbates their plight, fueling fears of another June 3rd disaster and highlighting a poignant tale of neglect and desperation.

Despite promises from the government to turn Accra into the cleanest city in Africa, the reality on the ground paints a stark picture of unfulfilled commitments and enduring struggles for basic dignity.

In this episode of the JoyNews series FILTH EXHIBITION, residents reflect on decades of living amidst the refuse, lamenting to Sweety Aborchie the absence of proper waste management infrastructure.

For the inhabitants of Aladuna, life is a daily battle against the encroaching tide of waste and the looming spectre of floods.

With makeshift waste disposal sites dotting the landscape and open gutters serving as the primary receptacle for refuse, residents like Amegbetor and Agyeiwaa confront the harsh realities of neglect and systemic failure.

As the rainy season approaches, anxiety mounts within the community, haunted by the memory of past flood disasters.

Questions linger over the allocation of funds earmarked for sanitation initiatives and the failure to deliver on promises made by President Akufo-Addo and former sanitation minister, Cecilia Dapaah.

With slogans like “year of sanitation” and pledges to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa fading into obscurity, the residents of Aladuna cling to hope for tangible action.

As the Aladuna community grapples with the dual challenges of waste management and flood prevention, the time for action is now.

The government must heed the voices of the marginalized and deliver on its promises to ensure a future where every Ghanaian can live with dignity and pride.