True Ghana Independence demands environmental freedom too - GAYO declares
The Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), a leading youth-led non-profit, had stated that Ghana's independence was not only political but also environmental.
GAYO indicated that a nation could not build prosperity while its air was polluted, its landfills emitted methane and its waste systems excluded the very workers who sustained them.
Mr Antonio Yayrator Korkuvi, the Central Regional Coordinator for GAYO's Zero Waste Portfolio, said this in an interview with the media after he spearheaded a march against filth in Cape Coast as part of Ghana's Independence Day celebrations.
Similar marches were held simultaneously across all 16 regions of Ghana as part of the National Clean Air and Just Transition Campaign, dubbed "Just Transition for Communities: Building Prosperity, Restoring Hope."
The participants marched through the principal streets of Cape Coast, starting from the Municipal Assembly, through the Kotokoraba central business district and Kingsway to Chapel Square, before converging at the Victoria Park venue.
The event rallied dozens of young people, including lecturers, representatives from non-profit organisations, waste workers particularly pickers and members of the public.
They carried placards bearing messages such as "Clean cities, clean skies, clean Ghana," "A truly independent nation protects its air and workers," "Criminalise open burning, protect public health," "Clean air is national infrastructure," and "Call for methane monitoring system," among others.
The group also distributed flyers, educated passersby and chanted slogans to highlight the dire effects of environmental degradation, particularly in the historic, tourism and academic city of Cape Coast.
The march forcefully amplified GAYO's advocacy for zero waste and methane mitigation as actionable national climate priorities, aligned with Ghana’s climate commitments, while raising residents awareness of the links between waste management, air quality, public health and climate change.
It advocated for improved landfill governance, methane reduction strategies and community-level waste segregation to build circular economy systems.
The move sought formal recognition and unionisation of informal waste workers and stronger stakeholder collaboration under the Zero Waste Cities framework.
The initiative received support from the Earthshot Prize, UMI Fund, Global Methane Hub, Clean Air Fund, National Youth Authority, Ghana Library Authority and GAYO Eco-Clubs.
Mr Antonio Korkuvi said GAYO was determined to shift Ghana toward sustainable green economy by reducing waste emissions and promoting eco-friendly jobs.
According to him, waste management remained one of Ghana’s most urgent urban governance challenges, driven by rapid urbanisation, rising consumption, open burning and inadequate infrastructure.
These challenges, he said directly impacted air quality, public health and climate resilience, even as thousands of waste workers particularly informal pickers provided critical environmental services without formal recognition, occupational health protection, social protection mechanisms, or union representation.
Dr Samuel Ayeh Ofori, Director of Research and Programmes at Climate Change Advisors Ghana, who had participated in the march, encouraged the adoption of environmentally responsible lifeclasss, starting with reducing plastic waste.
He emphasised that restoring the land began with simple, collective actions, underscoring the importance of land stewardship, climate responsibility and the urgent need to embrace a Zero Plastic Waste culture in communities.
Other participants, including officials from the Environmental Protection Authority, had reinforced the need to elevate clean air, zero waste systems and waste worker dignity as national priorities within Ghana’s independence narrative and broader development agenda.