Ban Aboboya waste collection now – Environmental experts urge government
Environmental and local governance experts have urged the government to prohibit informal tricycle operators, popularly known as Aboboya, from collecting household waste, arguing that the practice weakens Ghana’s formal waste management system and contributes to improper waste disposal.
They said that although the operators provide a useful service in some communities, they operate outside the regulated waste collection framework established by metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, making it difficult to monitor how waste is transported and disposed of.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM monitored by Graphic Online on Wednesday, July 8, environmental engineer Dr Juliet Ohemeng Ntiamoah stressed that an efficient sanitation system could not be achieved without properly regulating waste collection.
She explained that many informal tricycle operators lack the capacity and equipment to transport refuse to designated disposal sites, increasing the risk of waste being dumped illegally.
“The Aboboya being used for waste collection should be banned and that is something that I think maybe the Ministry of Local Government must step in,” Dr Ohemeng Ntiamoah said.
She further called for greater investment in sanitation infrastructure, including engineered landfill sites and recycling facilities, describing waste management as a national priority.
Dr Ntiamoah also advocated stricter oversight of licensed waste management companies, saying operators that fail to deliver contracted services should be sanctioned.
“I don’t currently know if we have an institution in Ghana that regulates these waste collectors because it shouldn’t be the case that waste collectors can decide to show up or not show up whilst they are being paid,” she said.
President of the Chamber for Local Governance, Dr Richard Fiadomor, backed the call to curb informal waste collection, describing the activities of Aboboya operators as inconsistent with the formal waste management arrangements between assemblies and licensed service providers.
He explained that local assemblies enter franchise agreements with approved waste management companies to serve designated areas, with service charges determined through officially approved fee-fixing resolutions. However, he noted that some residents bypass these companies and instead hire informal operators who charge different rates, undermining the established system.
Dr Fiadomor added that licensed waste companies possess specialised equipment, such as skip trucks, enabling them to transport waste safely to approved disposal facilities—capacity that many informal tricycle operators do not have.
“Because these people are doing that with the connivance of the citizens, I have generated my waste. So if a Zoomlion truck comes and I decide not to give it to the Zoomlion truck, they can’t do anything to me,” he said.
The discussion also highlighted broader challenges confronting Ghana’s waste management sector, including inadequate investment, limited disposal infrastructure and concerns over the quality of services provided by some licensed waste collectors.
Research Fellow at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Dr Kwame Adjei-Mantey, said Ghana was investing far less than required to effectively manage waste, arguing that expenditure on sanitation should be viewed as an investment that reduces healthcare costs and prevents economic losses.
He cited ISSER research indicating that current funding levels remain insufficient and called for increased investment in the sector.
Dr Ntiamoah also noted that addressing flooding requires more than improved waste management. She said silt from unpaved roads contributes significantly to blocked drains and excessive stormwater runoff during heavy rains.
She therefore called for better urban planning, expanded green spaces and infrastructure designed to improve water infiltration and reduce the risk of flooding.
The experts’ remarks come amid renewed public concern over sanitation and recurrent flooding, with growing calls for a more coordinated approach to waste collection, disposal and drainage management across the country.
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