AAG Raises Alarm Over Billboard Demolitions, Calls for Presidential Intervention in Ghana

The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG), the apex body for the country’s advertising industry, has issued a formal appeal to President John Dramani Mahama and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs. The association demands urgent intervention to halt what it describes as a “disorderly and opaque” demolition campaign targeting billboards across the Greater Accra Region. This action raises critical questions about regulatory governance, economic stability, and urban planning in Ghana’s capital.

Introduction: A Crisis in Outdoor Advertising Governance

A sudden and widespread demolition of outdoor advertising structures, particularly billboards, has sparked a major controversy in Ghana. While regulatory clean-up efforts are broadly supported, the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) contends that the current execution lacks transparency, legal due process, and stakeholder consultation. This situation has created uncertainty for a multi-million cedi industry that supports thousands of jobs and contributes significantly to municipal revenues. The AAG’s direct appeal to the presidency underscores the severity of the governance breakdown and the perceived inability of lower-tier regulatory bodies to manage the crisis fairly.

Key Points of the AAG’s Formal Complaint

The association’s statement, dated February 13, 2026, outlines several core grievances that form the backbone of its alarm:

• Lack of Consultation: Demolitions began without prior engagement with legitimate industry operators, denying them a chance to regularize permits or address compliance issues.
• Absence of a Public Roadmap: There is no clearly communicated plan detailing phases, timelines, specific compliance benchmarks, or the legal criteria for targeting structures.
• Risk of Selective Enforcement: The process is perceived as arbitrary and potentially influenced by political or personal interests, threatening fair competition.
• Significant Economic Threat: Abrupt demolitions jeopardize massive private investments (from GH¢150,000 to over GH¢1 million per structure) and threaten thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
• Call for Institutional Reset: The AAG directly asks the President and the Local Government Ministry to take control, restore order, and mandate a structured, transparent, and phased compliance program.

Background: The Complex World of Ghana’s Billboard Regulations

A Fragmented Regulatory Landscape

Understanding this crisis requires context on Ghana’s regulatory framework for outdoor advertising in Ghana. Authority is not centralized. It involves a complex mix of:

• Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assembly (MMDA) By-laws: Local governments set specific rules for their jurisdictions.
• National Building Codes: Provide technical standards for structural safety.
• Urban Planning and Zoning Laws: Dictate where advertising can be placed.

This fragmentation often leads to regulatory fragmentation, where rules conflict or are enforced unevenly across different MMDAs within the Greater Accra Region. For years, the rapid proliferation of billboards—both static and the newer, more expensive virtual LED billboards—has outpaced the capacity and coordination of these regulatory bodies.

The Stakes: An Industry Under Pressure

The outdoor advertising industry in Ghana is economically significant. Industry estimates suggest it contributes tens of millions of Ghana cedis annually through permit fees, taxes, and as a vital marketing channel for businesses. More importantly, it is a major employer. The ecosystem includes graphic designers, structural engineers, metal fabricators, electricians, installers, printers, and maintenance crews—a full supply chain dependent on the stability of the sector.

Analysis: Deconstructing the AAG’s Arguments

The Legal and Procedural Deficits

The AAG’s primary argument hinges on due process and regulatory transparency. While assemblies have the right to enforce codes and remove illegal structures, the manner of enforcement is legally and ethically crucial. Key failings identified include:

• No Prior Notice or Hearing: Basic principles of administrative law suggest affected parties should be notified of violations and given an opportunity to be heard before punitive action like demolition.
• No Grandfathering or Phased Compliance: A sudden, wholesale demolition ignores the possibility of a structured phase-in period for operators to bring non-compliant structures up to standard or obtain retroactive permits where possible.
• Unclear Mandate: It is ambiguous which committee or agency is leading the campaign and under what specific legal authority. This ambiguity fuels perceptions of arbitrariness.

The Economic Ripple Effect

The financial implications extend far beyond the owners of the demolished billboards. Consider the investment:

• A standard large-format steel billboard: GH¢150,000 – GH¢500,000.
• A modern digital LED video billboard: Exceeds GH¢1 million.

These assets are typically financed through bank loans or long-term lease agreements with corporate clients (e.g., telecoms, banks, FMCG companies). Their sudden, uncompensated destruction constitutes a massive capital loss, triggering loan defaults, breach of contract lawsuits, and a collapse in asset value. This erodes private sector confidence in Ghana, particularly in the creative and media sectors, at a time the government seeks to attract investment.

Perception of Bias and Political Interference

While the AAG statement does not name specific perpetrators, the warning about “political considerations or suggestions from individuals within government” is potent. In a highly visible sector like outdoor advertising, where location is everything, the power to approve or demolish can be a tool for patronage or retaliation. Even the perception of selective enforcement—where structures owned by politically connected individuals are spared—is enough to:

• Destroy trust in regulatory institutions.
• Create an uneven playing field, distorting the market.
• Provoke legal challenges and public protests.

Practical Advice: A Path Forward for Stakeholders

Resolving this impasse requires a collaborative, structured approach. Here is a pragmatic roadmap:

For the Government (President, Ministry, Regional Minister):

1. Issue an Immediate Moratorium: Halt all demolitions pending the establishment of a clear, inclusive framework.
2. Constitute a Multi-Stakeholder Task Force: Form a committee with equal representation from the Ministry, AAG, Ghana Institution of Engineers (for structural safety), Ghana Urban Forum, and civil society. Its mandate must be publicly defined.
3. Commission a Comprehensive Audit: Undertake a transparent, GIS-mapped audit of all existing billboards in Greater Accra, categorizing them by compliance status (fully compliant, minor violations, major structural risks, illegal). This audit should be public.
4. Develop a Phased Compliance Plan: Create a realistic timeline (e.g., 6-18 months) with clear milestones. Structures with minor issues get a window to regularize. Only those posing imminent public safety risks (e.g., structurally unsound, blocking critical sightlines at intersections) should be candidates for immediate, justified demolition with prior notice.
5. Clarify and Harmonize Regulations: Use this crisis to accelerate the development of a unified national policy on outdoor advertising to reduce MMDA-level ambiguity.

For the AAG and Industry Operators:

1. Propose a Self-Regulation Framework: Develop and submit a credible industry code of conduct and a fast-track certification process for members to demonstrate compliance.
2. Document All Assets: Operators should compile a portfolio of all their structures, including permits, structural certifications, lease agreements, and photographic evidence. This is crucial for any future legal or compensation claims.
3. Engage Proactively, Not Adversarially: Offer technical expertise to the task force to help define safe, sensible standards. Position yourselves as partners in solving urban visual clutter, not obstacles.
4. Pursue Legal Recourse Judiciously: While litigation is an option, prioritize negotiation to achieve a sustainable industry-wide solution. Court battles are costly and prolong uncertainty.

For Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs):

1. Suspend Independent Action: Await directives from the presidential task force to avoid conflicting orders and further chaos.
2. Compile Internal Records: Assemble all existing permit records, inspection reports, and past communication with billboard operators to contribute to the national audit.
3. Focus on Safety-Critical Issues: Within the moratorium, continue to address only immediate, reportable dangers (e.g., a billboard about to collapse) through proper incident reporting channels.
4. Streamline Permit Processes: Use this downtime to review and simplify local permit application procedures to make them more transparent and efficient for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Are all billboards in Accra illegal?

A: No. Many billboards are legally permitted with valid licenses from the relevant MMDA. The crisis stems from a combination of genuinely illegal structures, structures built with permits that don’t meet updated codes, and a failure of consistent enforcement over the years. The AAG’s concern is about the indiscriminate demolition of both legal and illegal structures without process.

Q2: Who actually owns the land where billboards are built?

A: This is a critical point of confusion. Billboard operators typically do not own the land. They enter into long-term lease agreements (often 5-10 years) with the landowner (which could be a traditional authority, a private individual, or a government agency). The operator’s investment is in the structure and the leasehold rights. Demolishing the structure without terminating the lease fairly creates complex legal disputes between operators, landowners, and assemblies.

Q3: What about public safety? Aren’t some billboards dangerous?

A: Absolutely. Public safety is a legitimate and primary concern. Structurally unsound billboards, especially those poorly maintained or built with substandard materials, pose a real risk during heavy rains and storms. The AAG does not oppose removing dangerous structures. Its objection is to the non-discriminatory approach that does not distinguish between a hazard and a compliant, well-maintained installation. A safety-first, evidence-based demolition list is what is required.

Q4: Could this lead to lawsuits against the government?

A: Yes, it is highly likely. Operators whose legally permitted structures are demolished without due process have strong grounds for claims of:

• Expropriation: The state effectively taking private property without compensation.
• Breach of Contract: Violating lease agreements with landowners.
• Administrative Misfeasance: Acting unlawfully or unreasonably in public office.

Such lawsuits could result in massive financial judgments against the state and the relevant MMDAs, costing taxpayers far more than a structured compliance program.

Q5: Is this just about money for the advertising industry?

A: While the economic impact is enormous, the AAG frames this as a governance issue. It’s about the rule of law, transparent regulation, and predictable business environments. An industry cannot thrive if regulatory actions are sudden, secretive, and seemingly arbitrary. The argument is that a well-regulated, orderly industry is better for everyone—including the government (through stable revenue), the public (through safer, more aesthetic streets), and the advertisers (through reliable media channels).

Conclusion: Restoring Order Through Collaboration

The AAG’s call for presidential intervention is a stark indicator that the decentralized system for managing billboard regulations in Accra has failed. The current demolition exercise, regardless of its initial intent to clean up the city, has been executed in a way that threatens the rule of law, economic stability, and social trust. The path forward must reject panic-driven demolition and embrace a structured compliance framework built on transparency, stakeholder engagement, and a clear prioritization of public safety over punitive symbolism.

President Mahama and the Ministry of Local Government now hold the leverage to reset this process. Their intervention must aim to create a lasting, fair, and safe system for outdoor advertising in Ghana, not just to stop the bulldozers today, but to prevent a repeat of this crisis tomorrow. The economic health of a creative sector that employs thousands and the credibility of Ghana’s urban governance depend on it.