Minister taps UK expertise on sports infrastructure management
Ghana’s Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, is on a high-powered working tour of London, seeking the United Kingdom’s expertise to transform the country’s sports facilities into self-sustaining, revenue-generating assets that do far more than host matches.
With a clear vision to repurpose underused infrastructure into economic powerhouses, Mr Adams wants to ensure that facilities such as the multipurpose Borteyman Sports Complex, which was built for the 2023 African Games, do not become white elephants.
Instead, he is leading a bold shift from building stadiums for glory to running them like thriving businesses that generate jobs and fuel Ghana’s sports economy.
At the heart of the minister's London mission is a deep dive into operational success stories, management systems, and commercial strategies that have kept iconic UK venues thriving long after the games were over.
His first stop was the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – the crown jewel of the London 2012 Olympic Games’ legacy. The minister toured the London Aquatics Centre and the Copper Box Arena, both sterling examples of how Olympic infrastructure can be reinvented for long-term national benefit.
The Aquatics Centre now welcomes over 1.2 million visitors each year as a commercially-run, community-centred facility, while the 7,500-seat Copper Box Arena hosts everything from basketball and boxing to esports, exhibitions and wellness programmes.
Significant move
In what appears to be a major breakthrough, sources close to the Sports and Recreation Ministry revealed that advanced discussions are underway with the venue’s operators, Greenwich Leisure Limited and International Venue Management, whose expertise spans the Middle East and North America, to bring their insights, and potentially interim operational solutions, to Ghana.
Mr Adams’s UK tour also includes strategy meetings with a range of public and private stakeholders, focusing on key themes such as fan engagement, venue branding, digital marketing, sponsorship, and hospitality services – all geared towards unlocking fresh revenue streams.
