By Samuel Asamoah

The Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Freeman Tskepo, has called on private investors and business operators to partner the Assembly in developing affordable household toilet facilities and sustainable waste management solutions as Ghana intensifies efforts to address its sanitation challenges.

He said the persistent practice of open defecation in the municipality, despite significant investments in public toilet facilities, required stronger collaboration between local authorities and the private sector to expand access to decent and hygienic household toilets.

Mr Tskepo made the appeal at a World Toilet Day commemoration organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in collaboration with the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly at Safisana’s waste treatment facility in Ashaiman.

Speaking under the national theme, “From Open Defecation to Open Opportunity Through the Gender Lens,” he said the Assembly was committed to exploring sustainable approaches to sanitation but needed greater private sector participation to achieve lasting results.

He urged investors to explore affordable household toilet solutions that could respond to the needs and financial circumstances of residents.

Mr Tskepo also disclosed that the Assembly was pursuing more sustainable waste management practices through waste segregation and recycling, describing collaboration with private operators as important to improving environmental sanitation.

The commemoration brought together government officials, development partners, energy sector representatives and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) stakeholders to examine investment opportunities in sanitation, waste recovery and renewable energy.

Earlier, the WASH Technical Advisor at the Office of the President, Ing. Michael Forson, who represented the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, commissioned 10 boreholes constructed by the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly for selected schools in the municipality.

The intervention is expected to improve access to safe water in the beneficiary schools and strengthen hygiene practices among pupils and teachers.

Speaking on behalf of the Deputy Minister, Ing. Forson highlighted the need for sustainable investment in sanitation infrastructure and innovative approaches to waste management.

He emphasised that sanitation should be viewed beyond the provision of toilet facilities, pointing to opportunities in waste collection, treatment, recycling and resource recovery.

He also highlighted the potential of the sanitation value chain to create jobs and economic opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable groups who are disproportionately affected by inadequate sanitation services.

A major attraction at the event was Safisana’s waste treatment model, which demonstrated how investment in sanitation could generate economic value through the conversion of human and organic waste into agricultural fertiliser and renewable energy.

Managing Director and Founder of Safisana, Mr Aart van den Beukel, said the company had processed more than 70,000 tonnes of organic and faecal waste over the past eight years through its treatment facilities in Ashaiman and Kumasi.

The volume, according to figures presented by him, was equivalent to approximately 7,000 truckloads of waste.

He said the company’s operations served more than 65,000 people annually and had created over 200 green jobs.

Mr van den Beukel further disclosed that Safisana had produced more than 335,000 bags of organic fertiliser from processed waste, supporting agricultural production and efforts to restore nutrient-depleted soils.

The company uses anaerobic digestion technology to convert human and organic waste into renewable energy, while the residual materials are processed into organic fertiliser.

The model presents opportunities for investment in waste collection, treatment infrastructure, renewable energy production and the supply of organic agricultural inputs.

Representatives from the Energy Commission and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) also discussed regulatory frameworks and power purchase arrangements that could facilitate the integration of electricity generated from waste into the national grid.

The discussions highlighted the importance of an enabling regulatory environment and stronger partnerships among local authorities, energy institutions and private investors to scale up waste-to-energy initiatives.

Participants later toured the Safisana facility, where they observed the waste treatment plant, organic compost production and other stages of the treatment process. Schoolchildren also participated in educational demonstrations on sanitation and responsible waste management.

The Ashaiman event forms part of activities leading to Ghana’s national World Toilet Day commemoration scheduled for November 19, 2026.

World Toilet Day, observed annually on November 19, raises awareness of the global sanitation crisis and promotes universal access to safe and sustainable sanitation facilities.

The commemoration renewed calls for government, development partners, financial institutions and private investors to treat sanitation not only as a public health responsibility but also as an investment opportunity capable of generating employment, supporting agriculture, producing renewable energy and improving living conditions.