GSA Pioneers Green Revolution: How Agricultural Waste Could Slashed Ghana’s Housing Costs
In a bold move to tackle the skyrocketing cost of housing and environmental degradation, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is championing the use of agricultural waste and local minerals as sustainable alternatives in cement production.
Speaking at the Concrete Development Roadmap Stakeholder Dialogue in Osu on Friday, March 13, 2026, the Deputy Director-General of GSA, Hon. Samuel Jabanyite, revealed that materials once considered "rubbish" are the key to Ghana’s construction future.
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| Deputy Director-General of GSA, Hon. Samuel Jabanyite |
The initiative of the collaboration between the GSA, the German International Cooperation (GIZ), and the European Union, explores how by-products from Ghana’s vast agricultural sector can be repurposed.
Key materials under review include:
Rice Bran
Groundnut Husks
Cassava Peels
"Nearly 80 percent of the land in Africa is agricultural. This makes these materials readily available and a potential game-changer for the construction sector," Hon. Jabanyite stated.
Beyond agricultural waste, the Deputy Director-General highlighted Ghana’s massive deposits of Class 9 clay. Following the President’s recent inauguration of a Class 9 clay plant, the industry is now positioned to reduce its reliance on traditional, expensive raw materials.
The Hidden Cost of Clinker,
"A major hurdle for the Ghanaian homeowner is the price of cement, which is largely driven by the importation of clinker". Hon. Jabanyite raised several concerns regarding current practices:
Economic Strain: High import costs for clinker drain individual resources, leaving many families with little to no disposable income after building.
Clinker production is a significant pollutant, accounting for approximately 0.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The Path to a Circular Economy.
Therefore GSA is calling for an industry-wide shift toward a circular economy. By integrating reusable and alternative materials, the authority aims to create a "win-win" scenario:
Lower Costs: Reducing dependency on imports will make housing more affordable.
sustainability :Lowering the carbon footprint of the construction industry.
Local Growth: Utilizing Ghana’s natural agricultural and mineral resources to fuel local industry.
"A shift toward alternative cementitious materials is not just about building houses; it's about building a sustainable future for all Ghanaians," Hon. Jabanyite concluded.
Adding a global perspective to the Concrete Development Roadmap Stakeholder Dialogue, Dr. Wolfram Schmidt, a representative from the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), emphasized that the future of construction lies in the marriage of scientific research and practical standardization.
Dr. Wolfram Schmidt, Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM),
Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy,Dr. Schmidt noted that the current collaboration between Ghanaian stakeholders and international bodies is yielding critical insights.
"The goal is to modernize existing standards to reflect cutting-edge research, ensuring that new materials,such as agricultural waste and local clay are both safe and durable.
"This collaboration has brought new insights to modernize standardization based on rigorous scientific research," Dr. Schmidt stated during the press briefing.
A Two-Way Street: Learning from the Ghanaian Market
In a move that highlights Ghana’s growing influence in the sustainable materials space, Dr. Schmidt expressed a keen interest in "reverse learning." He noted that European markets have much to gain from observing how Ghana utilizes its unique local resources.
Key takeaway expectations from the dialogue include:
Knowledge Exchange: A cross-pollination of ideas between Ghanaian local companies and European market leaders.
Policy Amendment: Using the outcomes of the stakeholder delineation to refine and amend current construction frameworks.
Mutual Growth: Encouraging all parties to adopt "best practices" discovered during the roadmap development.
Dr. Schmidt concluded by expressing optimism that the end of these deliberations would see every stakeholder equipped to implement the necessary changes to revolutionize the industry.
Reported By Azaglo michael
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