By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Oct. 6, GNA – Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has urged banks and corporate institutions to adopt sections of streets to support urban beautification and environmental sustainability.
The initiative, he said, would complement government’s efforts to improve the appearance of cities and reduce reliance on central government funding for urban development.
Mr Ayariga made the proposal when he addressed heads of banks at a gathering organised by the Bank of Ghana, attended by Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, the Governor.
He said banks and other companies were already supporting beautification efforts by adopting small spaces in cities, particularly during Christmas, Easter, and other festive occasions.
He proposed that the initiative should be expanded into a daily corporate responsibility programme, where companies would adopt specific stretches of roads and maintain them.
Mr Ayariga said the companies could work with the Town and Country Planning Department and the Urban Roads Directorate to develop appropriate designs for the streets.
He said the companies would be required to support the planting and maintenance of trees, green grass, flowers, and other features that would enhance the appearance of the streets.
The Minister said companies that adopted the streets could brand the areas as part of their corporate identity, subject to agreed arrangements with the relevant authorities.
He suggested that the names of companies could be associated with the streets they helped to maintain, citing the possibility of adding a corporate name to an existing road name.
Mr Ayariga said companies could incorporate the initiative into their annual budgets and adopt different lengths of roads in areas where they operated.
The initiative would also create opportunities for young people through the expansion of parks and gardens activities and the engagement of contractors to undertake maintenance works, he said.
The Minister said if banks and other companies adopted various stretches of roads across the country, the initiative could significantly improve the urban environment.
He said beautiful and well-maintained cities could attract more visitors, support businesses and improve the quality of life of workers and residents.
Mr Ayariga said he would engage the Ghana Association of Contractors to explore ways of implementing the proposal and developing a workable arrangement with the private sector.
Dr Asiama welcomed the proposal and tasked the relevant teams to engage the Minister to determine how it could be operationalised, even on a small scale.
He said the project could provide a win-win arrangement by improving the urban environment while reducing the burden on the central government to finance every aspect of beautification.
The Governor thanked the Minister for the proposal and said the financial sector would engage with the relevant stakeholders on how to move the initiative forward.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
6 Oct. 2026
Caption: Pictures Attached
Reporter: Morkporkpor Anku
Email: [email protected]