Ghana Road Safety Authority Removes Over 120 Illegal Advertising Boards in Accra Crackdown

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has dismantled more than 120 unauthorised advertising boards erected on road medians across parts of Greater Accra, in an enforcement operation aimed at clearing visual obstructions and improving pedestrian safety.

The removal exercise, led by NRSA Director-General Abraham Amaliba, involved the Authority's Technical Advisor and officials from its Greater Accra Regional Team. The team worked along a route stretching from the Supreme Court, through the Ridge Roundabout and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), before ending at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel .

The Authority said the intervention was intended to eliminate visual obstructions, improve visibility for motorists and make it safer for pedestrians to move along and cross the affected roads. In a Facebook update on Sunday, November 8, the NRSA said clearing the unauthorised installations formed part of its wider efforts to promote safer road use and improve order within the urban environment .

A Long-Running Enforcement Drive

The operation is the latest phase in a sustained campaign by the NRSA to rid Accra's road corridors of advertising structures that violate safety standards. The Authority has argued that billboards mounted on medians and roundabouts obstruct sightlines for drivers and impede pedestrian movement, particularly at crossings and intersections.

In June 2025, the NRSA initiated discussions with the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) to address the strategic placement of billboards. At the time, Amaliba emphasised the urgent need to prioritise pedestrian safety by removing obstructive structures from road gantries, medians and pedestrian walkways. The AAG acknowledged multiple communications from the NRSA regarding hazardous billboards and proposed forming a joint committee and drafting a memorandum of understanding to ensure systematic regulation and enforcement .

The enforcement drive continued in September 2025, when the NRSA, in collaboration with municipal assemblies, began removing unauthorised billboards along the stretch between Darkuman and Mallam Junction. Amaliba described the exercise as continuous, stating that the signs posed "visual and cognitive distractions" and that accident rates and fatalities were on the rise .

Scale of Non-Compliance

The scale of the problem appears substantial. According to the President of the Advertising Association of Ghana, Andrew Ackah, an assessment by the association found that between 40 and 60 per cent of the roughly 10,000 advertising structures identified across Accra do not comply with established regulations. Some structures violate traffic and building regulations, while others raise concerns about structural integrity and the quality of materials used .

Under the NRSA Act, 2019 (Act 993), the Authority is empowered to develop and promote road safety, coordinate and regulate activities, procedures and standards related to road safety, and ensure the implementation and enforcement of road safety standards . The Authority has previously stressed that the strategic placement of advertisements must align with safety standards to prevent hazards on roads .

Road Safety Context

The removal exercise comes amid heightened concern over road fatalities in Ghana. The country recorded 2,949 road deaths in 2025, an 18.2 per cent increase over the 2,494 fatalities in 2024, with speeding and a surge in motorcycle crashes driving the increase. The Greater Accra Region contributed the most crashes nationally, with 4,533 recorded incidents .

While the NRSA has not directly linked advertising boards to specific crashes, the Authority has consistently argued that visual obstructions on medians and walkways contribute to hazardous conditions for both drivers and pedestrians. The removal of unauthorised structures is therefore framed as part of a broader effort to reduce risk factors in the urban road environment.

The NRSA said enforcement would continue in other parts of Accra as part of its mandate to reduce accidents and fatalities on Ghana's roads .