Following a pledge by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, to fix 70% of streetlights in the capital within 50 days, Channel One News embarked on a monitoring exercise to assess progress on the ground.
Our checks across several major roads and communities revealed that many key stretches remain engulfed in darkness, raising concerns about public safety and accountability.
Notably, the N1 Highway—from the Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout to Lapaz—remains completely unlit. A similar situation exists along the Spintex Road, with no visible improvements in street lighting.
According to commercial driver Kojo Tuffour, motorists are heavily dependent on their vehicle headlights to navigate these dark stretches.
“There are no streetlights on the N1 highway. This is difficult for regular road users like us. Driving on our roads is already challenging, and it’s even worse if you have any vision problems,” he said.
Other major roads are equally affected. The stretch from the Accra Mall to the Palace Mall is still in total darkness. Streetlights along the road from the Ridge Roundabout to the frontage of Parliament House are also non-functional.
However, some improvements were noted. The stretch from Parliament House toward the Accra Sports Stadium had functioning streetlights. Additionally, lights were observed working from Independence Square toward the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
Further checks at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and the Tesano Police Training Institute revealed that streetlights in those areas were also not functioning.
Functional streetlights are essential not only for safe driving but also for improving general security across the city. With many stretches still in darkness, residents are left asking: Where are the streetlights that were promised to the people of Greater Accra?