Ghana Finds Only 5 of 30 Fire Hydrants Working in Its Government District

Ghana’s government district in the capital, Accra, has almost no working fire hydrants. An official check found 23 of about 30 out of action.

Only five of about 30 fire hydrants in Accra’s Ministries enclave work properly, Ghana’s fire service said on Saturday 26 September. The enclave is the compact district where most of the West African country’s central government sits.

Ghana, a nation of about 35 million people, is one of West Africa’s larger economies. The fire hydrants in Accra are street water points that fire crews plug their hoses into when a tanker runs dry.

What the inspection found

The Greater Accra Regional Fire Command, part of the Ghana National Fire Service, carried out the check with Ghana Water Limited. Ghana Water Limited is the state company that supplies piped water to the country’s cities.

Inspectors counted about 30 hydrants across the enclave. Only five were fully functional with high water pressure.

Two more worked but at low pressure. The remaining 23 did not work at all, according to reports in Ghana’s Daily Graphic and on MyJoyOnline.

The team also found that the Controller and Accountant General’s Department had no hydrant on its premises. That department runs the government’s payroll and public accounts.

Who was inspected

The check covered some of the most important offices in the Ghanaian state. They include the Ministries of Finance, Energy, Transport, and Roads and Highways.

Also on the list were the Ghana Revenue Authority, which collects taxes, and SSNIT, the national social security and pension fund. The State Interests and Governance Authority, which oversees state-owned companies, was covered too.

The Ghana Health Service, the National Lottery Authority, the court complex and the Accra Sports Stadium completed the list. Thousands of civil servants and visitors pass through these buildings every working day.

What the fire service wants

Regional Fire Officer Rashid Nisawu, who holds the rank of Assistant Chief Fire Officer II, advised the accountant general’s office to act. He urged it to work with the fire service and Ghana Water Limited to install a hydrant.

The fire command described the exercise as a proactive effort. Its aim is to find, repair and restore broken hydrants before the fire season.

In Ghana, fires tend to peak in the dry months, when the dusty harmattan wind blows from the Sahara. That season usually starts around November.

Part of a wider pattern in Accra

The Ministries result is not an isolated case. Earlier this month, Modern Ghana reported that only seven of 15 hydrants checked in Accra’s central business district were working.

The fire service and the water utility also inspected hydrants at Makola, Accra’s biggest market, in early September. Together, the checks point to a citywide maintenance gap rather than a few broken valves.

Accra has seen costly market fires in recent years. In January 2025 a large blaze tore through Kantamanto, the city’s huge second-hand clothing market.

When hydrants fail, fire crews must shuttle water in by tanker through heavy traffic. That delay can turn a contained fire into a major loss.

What it means for foreigners

For foreign investors, diplomats and contractors, the enclave is where approvals, tax matters and contracts are handled. Many visits to the Ghanaian state end up in one of these buildings.

The finding does not mean a fire is likely. It does mean that the backup for firefighters in the heart of government is thin.

Visitors and staff can take simple steps. Note the exits, check that extinguishers are present, and avoid overloaded extension cables in older offices.

Companies that lease offices in Accra may also want to ask landlords about the nearest working hydrant. It is a routine question in fire-risk assessments elsewhere.

What to watch next

No repair timeline or budget has been announced. It is also unclear who will pay: the water utility, the fire service or the ministries themselves.

The key test is whether the 23 broken hydrants are restored before the dry season begins. Follow-up inspections by the fire command would show whether the work has been done.

Ghana’s wider fiscal position also matters for how quickly money follows. For broader context on the continent, see Africa: The New Scramble.

More: Ghana news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

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