Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations Minister, Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng has called on Muslim leaders in the country to consider using text messages in inviting Muslims to prayer instead of the traditional megaphones.

This, he said, will help reduce the noise pollution in Ghana.

“In the house of worship, why is it that the noise will be limited to the house of worship…and again maybe from the mosque, why is it that time for prayer would not be transmitted with a text message or WhatsApp so the Imam will send WhatsApp message to everybody that the time for prayer up so appears,” the minister stated when he took his turn at the Meet the Press series in Accra on Tuesday.

The suggestions come as the Rwandan government in a bold move in March issued a ban on loudspeakers from mosques in its capital Kigali.

According to the government, the new procedures come as part of Rwanda’s efforts to reduce noise pollution.

Muslims have largely complied with the ban but have criticised the move, saying they could have just lowered the volume.

“I have found that they have begun to respect it and it has not stopped their followers from going to pray according to their praying time,” Havuguziga Charles, a local official from Nyarugenge, told the BBC.

Some 1,500 churches have been closed for not complying with building regulations and noise pollution.