The Project, which would mainly target those between seven and 17 years, would be piloted in the Ashanti Region and, subsequently, be extended to Western, Central and Greater Accra Regions.

In a related issue, the Prince Charles, the Head of the Commonwealth, visited the Sandox Beach Club in Accra, during his recent trip to Ghana, and led a campaign in pursuit of the Commonwealth Blue Charter under the theme: “Keeping the values of Plastics in the economy and not in the ocean”.

Highlighting the modules under the Checkmate Project, Ms Abena Dugan, the Vice Chairperson of CYC, said  it would work with the Red Cross Society and UNICEF Sanitation Clubs in schools to utilise innovative ways of training pupils on solid waste management.

It would also deploy 2,000 dustbins to vantage positions in an operation, while Environmental Sanitation would be promoted as an Educational Sub- Module.

A regional Cleanest City Awards Programme would also be instituted to motivate authorities of district assemblies to mobilise their constituents to work for it.

Ms Dugan said a 2017 UNICEF report indicates that Ghana loses approximately $290million, annually, due to poor sanitation, which was compounded by country being ranked low in sanitation among other middle income countries.

She stated that the fight to arrest the sanitation challenges had been fruitless, though successive governments had done well in contributing their quota.

“Most Governments and civil society groups across the West Africa sub-regions, in recent times, have committed a lot of efforts into fighting the menace of improper sanitation, which has resulted in numerous adverse effects,” she noted.

Ghana, she said, needed to invest in the recycling of plastics as a means of ensuring economic an advantage of the menace.

There must also be intervention to tackle overfishing and unscrupulous fishing activities on the high sea and the implementation of respective strategic measures to protect aquaculture, as means of promoting tourism.

Ms Dugan also called for the preservation of mangroves, reef plantation as well as other ocean restorative measures to protect the environment.

She said waste plastic materials that made their way into the sea and water bodies in the country, posed health risks to both aquaculture and humans, adding that, this must be looked at, in an attempt to attain the Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 11.

She said the sanitation problems had necessitated the NYC to work in partnership with National Youth Authority and other stakeholders on the Project to sensitise the entire citizenry, especially the youth, in the basic and secondary schools to lead the campaign.