Clear Our Roads, Save Our Lives: Ban Big Misplaced Billboards Across Ghana
Drive through any town in Ghana today and you will see them — huge billboards on every corner, junction, and roadside. We all know that billboards are for adverts. Advertising helps business. But we shouldn't put them anywhere anyhow just like that. Right now, our roads are becoming dangerous and our communities are losing space because of big, unnecessary billboards. It’s time for the government to step in and ban big roadside billboards across the country.
The Problem: Billboards Everywhere, Safety Nowhere
They Block Road Signs and Cause Accidents
A big billboard covering a "Stop", "No U-Turn", or "Pedestrian Crossing" sign is an accident waiting to happen. Drivers can’t see, pedestrians are at risk. How many crashes will it take before we act? Let's do the right thing, let's help prevent accidents.
No Space Left in Our Communities
• Towns are already congested. But instead of space for walkways, trees, and markets, we have giant structures eating up the little space we have.
• Big unnecessary funeral billboards in town are a perfect example. A whole 40ft board announcing a funeral sits for months, blocking views and taking up public space, long after the event is over.
• Visual Pollution and Environmental Damage
To mount these billboards, trees are cut down. Drainages get blocked. Many of them are poorly mounted and fall during rains and wind, damaging cars and endangering lives.
• Ugly Towns
Tourists and investors judge a country by how it looks. When our highways look like a jungle of metal and plastic, it tells the wrong story about Ghana.
What Government Must Do Now
We are calling on the Government of Ghana, Ministry of Roads, NLA, AMA, and all MMDAs to take urgent action:
• Ban All Big Roadside Billboards
No new oversized billboard should be allowed on highways, at junctions, or within 50 meters of any road sign.
• Remove Existing Dangerous Ones
Conduct a nationwide audit and immediately take down billboards that block road signs, sidewalks, or visibility.
• Regulate Funeral and Event Billboards
• Big unnecessary funeral billboards in town should be removed 7 days after the event. Limit them to 1 small board per funeral and only in designated areas.
• Create Designated Advertising Zones
Let businesses advertise in specific commercial zones, bus stations, and online platforms. You don’t need a 50ft board on the highway to sell a product.
• Fines and Accountability
Any company or individual who erects a billboard without permit or in a dangerous location must face heavy fines. MMDAs that approve them should also be held responsible.
Choose Life Over Clutter
Advertising is good for business, but it should not cost lives.
A child crossing the road, a driver looking for a sign, a community needing space — these matter more than an oversized advert.
Ghana deserves clean, safe, and organized roads.
Mr. President, Ministers, Assembly Members — let’s reclaim our space.
Ban the big billboards. Prevent the accidents.
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