Up to 60% of Accra's 10,000 Billboards Are Illegal, Advertising Association of Ghana Says
- The Advertising Association of Ghana mapped over 10,000 billboards across Accra and checked each one against the law and technical guidelines
- AAG President Andrew Ackah blamed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies for failing to enforce outdoor advertising standards
- A billboard collapsed onto four vehicles in Kumasi in October, raising fresh concerns about the structural safety of unregulated structures
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Between 40 and 60 per cent of the more than 10,000 billboards currently standing across Accra are illegal, the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) shared on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, pointing to weak enforcement by local assemblies as the root cause.
Source: UGC
AAG President Andrew Ackah shared on the Citi Breakfast Show, warning that many of the structures violate traffic and building regulations, while others raise serious concerns about their structural integrity and the materials used in their construction.
The association funded and conducted the count itself, mapping billboards across the capital and checking each one against existing law and the technical guidelines governing outdoor advertising.
"We counted over 10,000 billboards. What we did was technically use this database and then superimpose it on the law and the guiding document," Ackah said.
MMDAs blame weak oversight
Ackah directed his criticism at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), which are responsible for issuing outdoor advertising permits and ensuring each structure meets the required standard.
He noted that while the Ghana Standards Authority has produced a comprehensive guideline with stakeholder input, known as GS 847:2019, the assemblies are simply not applying it.
The standard requires every billboard to comply with the Ghana Building Code, withstand wind and seismic loads, and have assembly-approved certified drawings.
It also sets spacing rules based on road speed limits, prohibits signs on road medians, and limits adverts on pedestrian walkways and cycle paths.
The AAG's earlier audits painted a similarly crowded picture. A 2024 review conducted in collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority found more than 300 billboards along the 13-kilometre stretch from Accra Mall through Spintex Road to Sakumono Junction.
The standard allows no more than 100 on that corridor.
Kumasi billboard collapse raises safety concerns
The dangers of poorly regulated outdoor signage became visible on Saturday, October 3, when a billboard collapsed onto four vehicles at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium's Heroes Park in Kumasi during the NPP's National Delegates Conference.
No injuries were reported, but the incident sharpened concerns about structural safety.
Separately, Parliament's Local Government and Rural Development Committee Chairperson, Queenstar Maame Pokuah Sawyerr, urged Accra Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey in October to remove unauthorised boards that obstruct drivers' sightlines.
Government responded earlier this year when the Ministry of Local Government established a multi-agency technical committee and launched demolitions in major cities. On April 28, Deputy Local Government Minister Rita Naa Odoley Sowah gave MMDCEs in Greater Accra seven days to pull down all unauthorised structures.
Not everyone in the industry agreed with the approach. In May, the Outdoor Advertisers Association petitioned the government to suspend the demolition of median signs, arguing that many of its members held valid assembly permits.
The group called for a phased relocation plan rather than outright removal, saying, "We don't need a total ban; we need smart regulation."
The AAG's new count arrives six months after that government ultimatum, and the figures suggest little has changed on Accra's roadsides.
Source: UGC
New York Times billboard features Afua Asantewaa
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Ghanaian music marathon contender Afua Asantewaa O. Aduonum had landed on one of the most iconic advertising platforms in the world, with her image and brand appearing on the New York Times billboard in Manhattan, New York City.
The massive digital screen, located at one of the busiest and most recognisable commercial intersections on the planet, captured the two-time Guinness World Records hopeful in what many consider a symbol of elite global status.
The feature also carried a significant announcement: Afua Asantewaa is planning a third sing-a-thon attempt, scheduled to begin on 7 July 2027.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
