Sports is not just a recreation but a multi-billion Industry, a cue to president John Mahama as he names Ghana’s next sports minister

By: BENJAMIN DANIEL YAMOAH

The sports sector/industry, without a doubt, is a major contributor to revenue generation for countries, players in the sector, and a source of employment, and Ghana is not an exception.

But has successive governments in Ghana over the years appreciated the significance and real value of the sports sector and how it can impact Ghana’s economy?

For an industry/sector that generates billions of dollars (globally) for countries through direct and indirect sources of employment, investments, taxes, remittances, etc., has Ghana’s approach towards the sector been one that shows a true appreciation of the importance of the sector, especially during this Fourth Republic?

Ghana has had five (5) presidents since 1993 under the Fourth Republic, namely Jerry John Rawlings (deceased), John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills (deceased), Nana Akufo-Addo, and John Dramani Mahama, and several ministers who have been in charge of sports.

That same period has witnessed Enoch Teye Mensah (longest-serving sports minister), Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Paapa Owusu Ankomah, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Muntaka Mubarak, Akua Sena Dansua, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, Isaac Asiamah, Mustapha Ussif, amongst others, all serve as sports ministers in the Fourth Republic.

However, one key question that remains unanswered all these years has been what is the plan for sports development in Ghana and the framework to achieve that plan, if any.

For a nation that had an enviable record (achievements) in football, boxing, and athletics post-independence, it’s ironic that in the last thirty (30) years, Ghana has witnessed a drop in its fortunes in the sporting arena. Unable to produce world champions in boxing and athletics, Ghana has not won the AFCON in over 40 years, not to even talk of the neglect of other sporting disciplines.

In terms of sports infrastructure, Ghana, without a doubt, has been woeful in that regard.
For a nation that prides itself as a sports country to boast only 5 standard national football stadia over 60 years after independence, and even that, only 1 or 2 meet CAF’s requirements for AFCON and World Cup qualifiers.

Until the African Games held in Accra in 2024, Ghana did not have a single world-standard athletics oval, aquatic pool, or sports complex fit for indoor games (volleyball, basketball, etc.).

There is a clear lack of fair investment in sports infrastructure by the state.

President John Mahama is set to name a new sports and recreational minister in the coming days after he was elected and sworn into office recently.

The question on the lips of most Ghanaians is who this person will be and what difference they will bring to a very important but underwhelming ministry in terms of performance recently.

Ghana’s sports ministry and its ministers have been accused of focusing mainly on the Black Stars (men’s football national team) while neglecting the other important teams and sports disciplines with its budgetary allocations.

Some names have been rumoured as potential occupants of the hot seat at the ministry.

They include Nii Lante Vanderpuye, an astute politician and a former sports minister himself. He is rumoured to be the favourite for the position and is seen as someone who has the tenacity and tough skin to be able to deal with the players in the sector.

Dr. Randy Abbey has been mentioned as well. He is an astute media practitioner and a member of the country’s football association as an executive council member. He also owns a football club and is seen as one of the frontrunners for the position.

Another name that has come up for the role is Herbert Mensah, the current president of Rugby Africa and a former board chairman and CEO of Asante Kotoko. Herbert Mensah is credited with leading a revolutionary change in how football clubs were run in Ghana when he became the board chair and CEO of Kotoko in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the introduction of modernised ways of running sports clubs.

It’s unclear, however, whether he will be willing to give up his role as president of Rugby Africa to become Ghana’s sports minister.

Whoever gets the nod to lead the ministry, whether from the rumoured list or not, Ghanaians expect the next minister to be bold and fair in the distribution of investment into the sector.
They must also appreciate the significance of that sector and the simple fact that sports is no longer just a recreation but a multi-billion sector/industry, and the state must position itself as such to reap all the benefits from it.

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