President John Dramani Mahama has declared Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, 2026, as National General Cleaning Days in the seven regions affected by the recent floods, as part of efforts to reduce the risk of further flooding and improve environmental sanitation.
The two-day exercise, to be carried out under the theme “Our Actions, Our Future: Cleaning Ghana after the floods,” will be coordinated by the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee and is expected to mobilise citizens, government institutions and security agencies to undertake a nationwide clean-up campaign.
Announcing the initiative in a press release, the Presidency described the exercise as a critical intervention aimed at cleaning communities, protecting the environment and safeguarding lives following the recent floods.
“This is a critical, nationwide exercise and all citizens are strongly encouraged to fully participate in it,” the statement said.
As part of the directive, President Mahama has instructed all government appointees, including Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of public institutions, Members of Parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), and heads of public institutions, to actively participate in the exercise.
“The President has accordingly directed that all government appointees, including Ministers of State, CEOs, Members of Parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), and Heads of Public Institutions, must step out of their offices, pick up tools, and lead the cleanup efforts alongside members of their respective communities.”
According to the Presidency, the clean-up has been structured into two phases to ensure effective coordination.
On Friday, July 10, personnel from the security services, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and waste management companies will commence the exercise.
The following day, Saturday, July 11, members of the general public will join the security agencies and local assemblies to expand the clean-up effort across affected communities.
The exercise will focus primarily on desilting choked drains to improve water flow ahead of anticipated heavy rains, clearing sand, weeds and debris from roads and highways, and cleaning public spaces such as markets, lorry parks, recreational parks and communal waste collection sites.
The Presidency said the initiative is intended not only as an emergency response to the recent floods but also as a call for long-term behavioural change.
“For far too long, indiscriminate littering and plastic pollution have clogged our drainage systems, contributing to devastating, preventable floods that destroy livelihoods and claim precious Ghanaian lives.”
To support the exercise, all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies have been directed to work with waste management companies to provide logistics, including refuse trucks, gloves, shovels and other cleaning equipment at designated collection points.
The assemblies have also been instructed to ensure that all silt and refuse collected during the exercise are promptly evacuated to prevent them from being washed back into drains.
The Presidency urged Ghanaians to embrace the exercise as a collective national responsibility.
