Abstract:
This paper presents a study on sanitation service delivery in an urban poor locality in Ghana,
Ashaiman. Ashaiman is a sprawling urban settlement in Ghana and suffers from poor sanitary
conditions. Close to 80 per cent of households in the Tulaku area, a suburb of Ashaiman, do not
have toilet facilities in their homes because landlords did not deem it necessary to construct toilet
facilities (Ashaiman Medium Term Development Plan, 2008-2011). Most public toilet facilities are
also in a deplorable state. As a result of these inadequacies, there is over dependence on the few
public toilet facilities and this has further led to indiscriminate defecation in open spaces and
bushes. Compounding the problems discussed above, is the poor attitude of residents who
indiscriminately dispose of refuse, and again, most residents refuse to pay refuse fees. The poor
attitudinal problem has made it increasingly difficult for city authorities to maintain good
sanitation in the communities despite several interventions adopted by the government, as well as,
civil society organizations to improve the appalling sanitation situation.
The study sought to discuss the role played by non-state actors’ sanitation service delivery. The
study identified some challenges confronting the sanitation delivery in Ashaiman as; Inadequate
budgetary and financial allocation for implementing sanitation action plans, lack of sanitation
byelaws at the municipal level, thus, weak or no enforcement of laws, Deficient capacity of civil
society to mobilize the community to engage in sanitation exercises, the Lack of coordination
between local authority and other stakeholders, and the lack of community engagement in the
sanitation service delivery.
A major finding that emerged from the study was that there were a range of community actors in
sanitation delivery, not withstanding, they were not recognized as important stakeholders and
local authorities hardly partner with them in the process of change.
The study has discussed measures of improving sanitation in the poor urban localities of Ghana
and recommends that if local authorities collaborate with non-state actors, especially informal
service providers and community based groups, it would enhance improvement in the sanitation
situation in poor urban localities
