President Mahama Announces Ban on Wooden School Furniture and Styrofoam to Protect Ghana’s Environment
In a bold move to combat deforestation and reduce environmental pollution, President John Dramani Mahama has announced a forthcoming nationwide ban on the use of wooden furniture in schools and the importation and production of Styrofoam in Ghana.
The announcement was made during a keynote address at the national event marking World Environment Day, held in Accra under the theme “Restore Our Earth: From Words to Action.” President Mahama used the occasion to highlight the urgent need for environmentally conscious policies that match Ghana’s sustainability goals with real, enforceable action.
“We have been planting trees and cutting them down at the same time,” the President lamented, describing the paradox of nationwide afforestation campaigns being simultaneously undermined by the mass harvesting of timber for furniture production.
As a step toward addressing this contradiction, President Mahama revealed plans to issue a formal directive banning the use of wood in the manufacture of desks and chairs for schools across the country.
“To reduce deforestation, I will issue a directive to stop the use of wood for producing school furniture,” he announced. “Going forward, we will adopt environmentally friendly alternatives such as recycled plastic or metal.”
The directive is expected to significantly reduce the pressure on Ghana’s forests, particularly as school furniture procurement has long been a driver of domestic logging.
Environmental advocates have welcomed the initiative, calling it a landmark decision in the fight against deforestation and a potential model for other sectors that rely heavily on timber.
In another major environmental policy shift, President Mahama also declared his intent to ban the importation and local production of Styrofoam, citing its detrimental impact on Ghana’s land and marine ecosystems.
“One of the biggest polluters is Styrofoam plastics — where you go and buy your food, and they put it in that whitish something. You finish eating and just dump it,” the President explained. “We’re going to ban the importation of Styrofoam plastics.”
Styrofoam, commonly used for food packaging, is non-biodegradable and has long been identified by environmental experts as a leading cause of urban waste and flooding, particularly in major cities like Accra and Kumasi.
President Mahama urged local manufacturers and importers to begin transitioning to sustainable packaging alternatives, such as paper containers and aluminium foil, ahead of the policy rollout.
“I’m informing the manufacturers and importers of Styrofoam that the Ministry of Environment, soon, will formally ban its importation and production in Ghana,” he stated.
These initiatives form part of the government’s broader environmental agenda aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems, promoting green jobs, and fulfilling Ghana’s international climate commitments.
President Mahama’s pronouncements signal a shift from rhetorical commitments to concrete action, and come at a time when the effects of climate change — including erratic rainfall, extreme heat, and land degradation — are becoming increasingly visible across the country.
As the government moves to formalize these bans, environmental groups, educational stakeholders, and industry players are expected to play a key role in supporting the transition to sustainable practices.
With these new measures, Ghana positions itself as a regional leader in environmental reform — and sends a clear message: preserving the planet is not a choice, but a national imperative.
Join our WHATSAPP CHANNEL, WHATSAPP GROUP 1, WHATSAPP GROUP 2 and TELEGRAM CHANNEL to get all relevant teaching resources to make your lessons effective.
Subscribe to this blog and follow us on facebook
