Story: Collins Agyemang 

President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development, announcing a series of targeted initiatives at the launch of the reintroduced National Sanitation Day (NSD) campaign.

The NSD which is under the Clean-up Ghana Agenda, comes more than 10 years after it was first launched in 2014, and seeks to put metropolitan, municipal and district chief executive (MMDCEs) at the core of implementing environmental and sanitation policies.

Addressing the gathering at the launch on Saturday, September 6, 2025,  Mr Mahama outlined key environmental programmes that would  form part of his government’s green agenda, with a focus on youth empowerment, afforestation, river protection, and enhanced local government accountability.

“As government, we are committed to protecting the environment, through initiatives like Blue Water River Guards and the Tree for Life Restoration,” President Mahama said.

As part of efforts to combat illegal mining locally known as galamsey and protect Ghana’s fragile water bodies, the Blue Water programme is set to train 2,000 young people in environmental protection and river conservation. 

The initial phase will engage 400 youth, who will be deployed to guard and rehabilitate polluted river bodies across the country.

The Tree for Life Restoration initiative, according to President Mahama, would  tackle deforestation and climate change by involving youth in large-scale reforestation projects, particularly in degraded areas.

The project will focus on the planting of economically valuable species such as cocoa, palm, timber, and rubber, not only to promote ecological recovery but also to generate sustainable employment for young people.

“This initiative promotes afforestation and environmental sustainability… creating sustainable employment and supporting ecological balance,” he said.

In a move aimed at strengthening environmental governance, President Mahama pledged to implement a new performance assessment framework for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).

“This framework will incorporate stringent environmental sanitation indicators to ensure that the Chief Executives prioritise and invest in environmental sanitation services within their areas of jurisdiction, as pledged in our manifesto,” he said.

The launch of these initiatives coincides with the revival of the National Sanitation Day, which will now be observed on the first Saturday of every month.