Accra: Government sets November 14 for removal of unauthorized billboards

Owners of advertising billboards in Accra have until November 13, 2026, to identify their structures ahead of a joint inspection exercise scheduled for the following day.

The exercise, which is expected to target unauthorised and non-compliant billboards, is being organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in partnership with the Advertising Association of Ghana.

Under the arrangement, billboard owners and advertising companies are required to display their names or company identities visibly on their respective structures before the deadline.

Structures that fail to meet the identification requirement by November 13 will be treated as unclaimed or potentially unauthorised and may be marked for removal.

The planned operation forms part of efforts to improve compliance with regulations governing outdoor advertising and address concerns surrounding the installation and management of billboards in Accra.

In a joint statement released on Thursday, November 5, the Ministry and the Advertising Association explained that the exercise would be guided by the Ghana Standards Authority’s GS-847:2019, Second Edition, which provides standards for the mounting and installation of advertising billboards.

The inspection is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, and will involve the Ministry, the Advertising Association of Ghana, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the Ghana Standards Authority and other relevant stakeholders.

Media representatives are also expected to accompany the team during the exercise.

The inspection will focus on selected roads and locations across Accra where billboard installations are heavily concentrated.

Authorities will assess the structures to determine whether they have been properly identified, authorised and installed in accordance with the applicable requirements.

Billboards found to be unidentified, unauthorised or non-compliant will be subjected to the appropriate enforcement measures after the inspection.

The joint operation is intended to strengthen public safety, improve regulatory compliance and ensure that outdoor advertising structures are properly managed.

Exercise to be extended beyond Accra

The Ministry and its partners have indicated that the operation will not end with the November 14 exercise.

According to the statement, periodic inspections and enforcement activities will continue in Accra to ensure that billboard owners maintain compliance with the relevant standards.

The initiative is also expected to be extended to other parts of the country through collaboration with the respective MMDAs and other relevant stakeholders.

This approach is intended to establish a more consistent system for monitoring outdoor advertising installations and addressing structures that do not meet the required standards.

The Ministry has appealed to billboard owners, advertising agencies and property owners to take the November 13 deadline seriously by ensuring that their structures are properly identified.

It also called on the relevant businesses and individuals to cooperate with officials during the inspection and subsequent enforcement activities.

Members of the public and the media have equally been encouraged to support the exercise.

The authorities say the initiative reflects a collective effort to promote public safety, enforce existing standards and create a cleaner, more orderly and properly regulated outdoor advertising environment in Accra and eventually across the country.