Ghana Sports Fund takes off as board inaugurated

he Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has inaugurated the 11-member Governing Board of the Ghana Sports Fund, formally activating a long-awaited institutional framework designed to provide structured, predictable and accountable financing for sports development in the country.

The inauguration ceremony, held at the ministry in Accra yesterday, marked the operational take-off of the Fund, which was established under Act 1159 following Parliament’s passage of the Ghana Sports Fund Bill in December 2025.

The Fund is mandated to mobilise and manage resources transparently to support athlete welfare, grassroots development, sports infrastructure, capacity building and elite performance preparation.

Crucially, the event also coincided with the appointment of a substantive Administrator for the Fund, a move that effectively puts the new institution to work.

President John Dramani Mahama has named Dr David Kofi Mawuvi Wuaku, a highly experienced banking and finance professional, as Administrator of the Ghana Sports Fund, underlining the government’s intent to marry policy with professional execution.

Dr Wuaku assumes leadership of an initiative widely viewed as a potential game-changer for a sector long blighted by chronic underfunding.

Addressing the newly inaugurated board, Mr Adams described the moment as a turning point for Ghanaian sport. “Ladies and Gentlemen, today, we turn a page,” he declared, arguing that for decades, sports financing in Ghana had been “uneven, unpredictable, and often reactive”.

“Too many federations have operated from crisis to crisis. Too many athletes have prepared for major competitions without assurance. And too much talent has been lost, not because of lack of ability, but because of lack of support,” he admitted. “This Fund directly addresses those realities.”

Fund objectives

The minister explained that the core purpose of the Ghana Sports Fund was “simple but powerful: to mobilise and manage resources transparently for athlete development, grassroots sport, infrastructure, capacity building, and high-performance preparation”.

According to him, the Fund introduces “planning where there was uncertainty, equity where there was imbalance, and accountability where there was discretion”, providing a clear break from the ad hoc funding model that has constrained sustained growth and competitiveness.

Mr Adams charged the board with a significant national responsibility, urging members to prioritise fairness, transparency and strategic thinking in all decisions.

“This Fund must serve sport, not interests. It must reward performance, not proximity, and invest in systems, not shortcuts,” he stressed, adding that the board’s independence and integrity would be critical to transforming Ghana’s sporting ecosystem.

The governing board is chaired by Prof. Koryoe Anim-Wright and comprises Dr David Kofi Wuaku (Administrator), Wilhelmina Asamoah (Chief Director), Duah Alhassan Oteng (Technical Advisor), Deborah Adei Djanie (Director, Human Resource Management and Development), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah (Director-General), Ernest Thompson, boxing legend Azumah Nelson, Ms Belinda Plange, Hon. Rachel Florence Appoh and Hon. Dickson Kyere-Duah.

The composition brings together seasoned administrators, policy experts and respected sports figures, such as the legendary Azumah, a blend the minister said was deliberate and necessary to ensure credibility and effective governance.

Mr Adams expressed confidence that the board’s collective expertise would help shift Ghana from mere participation in sport to sustained excellence, delivering tangible benefits to athletes, federations and communities across the country.

Expert management

The appointment of Dr Wuaku as Fund Administrator further reinforces that ambition. His selection signals a decisive move away from reliance on limited government subventions and sporadic private donations, which have often left critical infrastructure projects stalled and talent development programmes under-resourced.

The Ghana Sports Fund Bill, 2025, acknowledges that the previous funding model undermined the country’s ability to fully harness its sporting talent and infrastructure. With his background in financial management, Dr Wuaku is expected to inject professional rigour, innovative funding strategies and strong accountability systems into the Sports Fund.

Sports administrators, athletes and analysts have welcomed his appointment, describing it as a pivotal step towards restoring confidence in sports financing and enhancing Ghana’s competitiveness on the continental and global stage.

Placing Ghana’s reforms in a global context, Mr Adams noted that countries that lead in sport share a common trait: deliberate investment.

“They do not rely on chance or goodwill,” he said. “They build institutions that fund sport consistently, protect athlete welfare, and support long-term development.”

Designed as a multi-source, performance-driven development trust, the Ghana Sports Fund will draw from statutory allocations, donations and other approved revenue streams once fully operational.

Its framework emphasises accountability, performance and long-term planning, laying a legal and institutional foundation for sustainable sports development.