Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to Enforce Order in Outdoor Advertising Sector
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has announced strict new measures to sanitise the metropolis’ outdoor advertising sector, including a ban on unapproved, dilapidated, and indebted billboards across the city.
The directive forms part of a broader policy shift toward a fully digital outdoor advertising landscape set to launch in 2027.
Speaking at a strategic stakeholder engagement with 28 registered advertisers operating within the metropolis, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Richard Kwasi Ofori Boadi Agyemang, warned that the Assembly will no longer tolerate non-compliant operators.
He said dilapidated structures and boards with outstanding revenue liabilities will be dismantled immediately in accordance with previous Assembly directives.
Mr Ofori Boadi Agyemang highlighted the severe disruption caused by the current static system, citing haphazard placements and non-uniform billboard sizes along major corridors.
He noted that these unregulated structures obstruct the view of motorists and pedestrians and degrade the visual appeal of the Garden City.
“For a city to thrive, there must be order,” the MCE declared, emphasising that the Assembly’s primary goal is to drastically reduce clutter, restore urban beauty, and guarantee higher commercial value for compliant advertisers.
To ensure a seamless transition, the Assembly will issue detailed operational guidelines covering designated road stretches, approved billboard dimensions, and specific architectural designs.
The mayor grouped the targeted areas into two, namely the strategic corridors, which include Airport Roundabout, Sofoline, Ahodwo, and Bekwai Roundabout and the special zones, which comprise the Kumasi Zoo, Kejetia Market area, and the Central Business District (CBD).
The MCE further disclosed a complete moratorium on billboard installations along the Ahodwo–Santasi stretch, clarifying that no permits will be granted for the corridor until ongoing road dualisation works are fully completed.
Addressing concerns raised by advertisers regarding removed structures, proposed board sizes, and permit clearance processes, he reassured the business community that the reform aims to create a modernised, high-visibility ecosystem beneficial to both brands and the metropolis.
Bala Ali, ISD
