Almost 60% of Accra’s 10,000 billboards are illegal – Advertising Association

Between 40 and 60 per cent of the estimated 10,000 advertising structures identified across Accra do not comply with established regulations, the President of the Advertising Association of Ghana, Andrew Ackah, has disclosed.

Mr Ackah said an assessment conducted by the association found that several outdoor advertising structures violate traffic and building regulations, while others raise concerns about structural integrity and the quality of materials used.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, November 4, he said the association used its own resources to assess the scale of illegal billboard installations across the capital.

Mr Ackah explained that the findings were based on a mapping exercise in which the association compiled a database of billboards and assessed the structures against the laws and 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. We realised that between 40 to 60 per cent of these billboards are illegal because they flout those rules,” he stated.

The assessment reportedly identified structures that do not meet the required standards, including installations that may pose risks to road users and the public.

Mr Ackah attributed the proliferation of illegal billboards partly to weak regulatory oversight by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), which are responsible for issuing permits for outdoor advertising structures and ensuring compliance.

He said the Ghana Standards Authority had developed guidelines, with input from relevant stakeholders, to guide the permitting process.

However, he maintained that enforcement by the assemblies remains a major challenge.

Mr Ackah warned that illegal outdoor advertising structures would continue to proliferate unless the assemblies strengthened monitoring and ensured that permits were issued in accordance with established laws and technical guidelines.