Accra: The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is advocating for increased efforts in transforming the mindset of citizens, alongside bolstering investments in sanitation infrastructure to enhance national sanitation standards.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Ministry emphasizes that efforts to instill a change in mindset should commence with schoolchildren. Sector Minister Ahmed Ibrahim remarked, "We can construct public toilets, provide waste bins, and improve collection systems, but unless attitudes and behaviors change, our progress will remain limited." He continued, "The long-term solution, therefore, lies in building a culture of environmental responsibility, a culture that must be nurtured from an early age." The Minister underscored the critical role of schools in this endeavor.
In a speech delivered on behalf of Mr. Ibrahim by his Deputy, Madam Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, during the opening of the Fifth Executive Breakfast Conversation in Accra, it was stressed that everyone must be conscious of sanitation, recognizing it as a shared responsibility. The event, themed "Sanitation as a Key Performance Indicator for MMDCEs and the Role of Relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies: Prospects, Opportunities and Constraints," was organized by World Vision Ghana (WVG) in collaboration with KingsHall Media, the Zoomlion Foundation, the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, and others.
The Executive Breakfast Conversation, established in 2022, serves as a platform for stakeholders to engage in high-level, evidence-informed, and forward-looking dialogue on Ghana's environmental sanitation situation and its implications for health and socio-economic development. The theme aligns with a government policy linking the performance of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to the sanitation conditions in their areas.
The President has asserted that Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) will be held accountable for the sanitation state in their jurisdictions. "If an MMDCE is not able to keep their district clean, that DCE has no business being in that office," he warned. The Conversation critically evaluated policy initiatives and practical actions towards realizing the President's vision for environmental sanitation across all MMDCEs.
Additionally, the Conversation launched the seventh School Sanitation Solutions (Triple S) Challenge, a flagship program through which WVG and its partners aim to engage children from Basic Five to Junior High School Two in essay and quiz competitions to propose solutions for environmental sanitation.
World Vision Ghana National Director Tina Mukanda praised President Mahama and the Government of Ghana for prioritizing sanitation as a national development goal. She lauded the government's decision to make sanitation a key performance indicator for MMDCEs and its commitment to allocate 10 percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund to environmental sanitation initiatives. Mukanda reaffirmed her organization's dedication to prioritizing WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) service delivery.
Mukanda expressed satisfaction that previous conversations' recommendations have influenced government actions, with two major policy initiatives being implemented. She noted, "I am particularly very happy that the conversations have not just become a talk shop, but also a solution center producing practical and groundbreaking recommendations to address WASH service delivery and challenges."
With 18 percent of Ghanaian households still lacking toilet facilities, Dr. Mukanda highlighted the significant need for investment in sanitation. Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, Director General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), who chaired the conversation, called for active citizen participation in national sanitation efforts to achieve sustainable environmental changes.
Dr. Amoah stated, "You are the change. We are all part of the change. Even our children must understand that they, too, are the change." She noted that all 261 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies have prepared certified Medium-Term Development Plans for the 2026-2029 period, integrating sanitation interventions into the planning process.
Master Artaldus Sung Kuutanaa, the reigning Child Sanitation Diplomat, expressed concern over the sight of toilets floating during recent floods, which spread diseases. "We need more toilets that can withstand floods," he stated.