NRSA Launches Aggressive Action Against Unauthorized Billboards to Protect Road Users

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has launched a bold and urgent campaign to eliminate unauthorized advertising signs and billboards cluttering the country’s roads. Labeling the initiative a “war,” the NRSA has issued a final warning to all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to act within a strict 21-day window or face strict enforcement measures.

The campaign is driven by the growing concern that these unauthorized structures, often mounted on footbridges and overpasses, pose serious risks to road users by creating dangerous visual distractions. According to the NRSA, such placements violate the Services-Advertising Specification for Outdoor Signs, which clearly outlines that road infrastructure must primarily serve traffic and pedestrian safety, not advertising purposes.

“Billboards must never compromise the safety of our roads,” an NRSA official stressed. “Footbridges and similar structures are built to manage traffic flow and protect lives not to serve as platforms for indiscriminate advertising.”

In recent years, the NRSA has engaged in joint enforcement operations with local assemblies to dismantle illegal billboards, but the persistence of non-compliance has prompted this more aggressive stance. The authority is also working in collaboration with the Advertising Association of Ghana and the Ghana Standards Authority to enforce standardized regulations for the safe placement and construction of billboards.

This intensified cleanup effort is part of the NRSA’s wider mission to reduce road crashes and safeguard public infrastructure by minimizing distractions and ensuring roads are used strictly for their intended purpose.

Unauthorized Billboards in Ghana

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