40–60% of billboards in Accra are illegal – Advertising Association President

The President of the Advertising Association of Ghana, Andrew Ackah, has raised concerns about the growing number of illegal billboards in Accra, revealing that between 40 and 60 per cent of more than 10,000 advertising structures identified in the capital breach established regulations.

He said an assessment conducted by the association uncovered widespread violations of traffic and building regulations, as well as concerns about the structural integrity of some billboards and the quality of materials used in their construction.

Mr Ackah said the association independently funded the exercise to determine the extent of non-compliance within the outdoor advertising industry.

He explained that the exercise involved mapping advertising structures across the capital and comparing them with existing laws and technical guidelines governing their installation and operation.

“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. We realised that between 40 and 60 per cent of these billboards are illegal because they flout those rules,” he stated.

Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM on Wednesday, November 4, Mr Ackah attributed the situation partly to inadequate regulatory oversight by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), which are mandated to issue permits for outdoor advertising structures and ensure that operators comply with the required standards.

He noted that although the Ghana Standards Authority had developed guidelines in consultation with relevant stakeholders to regulate the installation of billboards, enforcement by the assemblies remained a major challenge.

He stressed that the situation was unlikely to improve without stronger monitoring and enforcement by the MMDAs, urging them to ensure that permits for outdoor advertising structures were issued in accordance with established laws and technical guidelines.

Mr Ackah warned that failure to address the regulatory gaps could allow illegal billboard installations to persist across the capital.