The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) is set to host a regional Centre of Excellence for clean air as part of efforts to strengthen air quality management across West Africa, a new project backed by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) shows.

The initiative, requested by Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aims to improve national policies, enhance monitoring systems and build technical capacity to tackle air pollution and climate change together.

The centre will focus initially on the Greater Accra Region and Kumasi, with plans to scale interventions across the West African sub-region through collaboration with ECOWAS member states.

Ghana has increasingly positioned itself as a leader in integrating air quality and climate policy. It is among the first countries to include short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) in its national greenhouse gas inventory and to quantify health benefits linked to its climate commitments.

Under the project, regulatory frameworks for air quality management in Accra and Kumasi will be updated in line with the Environmental Protection Act (2025), while coordination among key institutions, including MESTI, EPA, DVLA and metropolitan assemblies, will be strengthened.

Authorities also plan to deploy an integrated air quality data platform to provide real-time pollution data and support evidence-based decision-making, alongside training programmes for public officials.

The proposed regional centre will serve as a hub for research, policy support and cross-border collaboration, helping countries harmonise air quality standards and share best practices.

It will also promote financial and technical sustainability through partnerships, capacity-building and resource mobilisation strategies aimed at long-term operations.

The project aligns with broader international efforts such as the Breathe Cities initiative, which seeks to cut air pollution and carbon emissions by 30% by 2030, and reflects growing urgency to address the health and environmental impacts of poor air quality in rapidly urbanising regions.