NSA board targets major economic role for sports as Chairman Dr Awaah unveils reform agenda
The newly inaugurated Governing Board of the National Sports Authority has set out an ambitious plan to reposition sports as a major contributor to Ghana’s economy, with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision to significantly expand the sector’s share of national output at the centre of its policy direction.
At the board’s first meeting in Accra on Monday, the Chairperson, Dr Fred Awaah, said sports currently contributes about 1.4 per cent of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product but stressed that the government was determined to raise that figure through deliberate investment, structural reforms and expanded opportunities across multiple sporting disciplines.
“You would understand that the President of the Republic has sports at heart, and his intention, or vision for sports, is to use it as a tool for transforming our economy,” Dr Awaah said.
He added that the expectation was for sports to evolve beyond recreation into a productive economic sector. “It is the desire of the President that within our tenure, we would increase this by some good margins to ensure that sports takes its place, not only as a social entertainment enterprise, but one that contributes to the development of the economy of Ghana,” he stated.
Dr Awaah said the composition of the board reflected a deliberate effort to assemble a team with complementary strengths capable of delivering institutional reforms at the National Sports Authority.
“I am very excited about the team selected to be part of this board from your CVs. It is clear to me that will complement each other’s strengths,” he said.
He said the board would focus its work on detailed planning for 2026, innovative partnerships and measures that would enhance the visibility and commercial value of Ghana’s sports sector in line with the President’s expectations.
“We will be looking at plans for the year 2026, we’ll also be looking at innovative measures, including partnerships that will enhance the visibility of the sporting sector, and also seeing how sports can be used as a tool for economic development hinged on the expectations of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama,” Dr Awaah said.
On infrastructure, the Board Chairperson said the lack of sports facilities in some regions remained a major barrier to development and would be tackled during the board’s tenure.
“As you would note, infrastructural development is very key for the development of any sector, and we as the National Sports Authority, hinged on the vision of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama... We have six new regions that do not have stadia, and we do intend that by the end of our tenure, there will be visible stadia in such regions, whilst we continually upgrade those that are existing now,” he said.
He also announced a renewed push to use international sports scholarships as a pathway for talent development, saying athletes across the country would be identified and supported to train in competitive environments abroad.
“It is our commitment that sports talents that are within the nook and cranny of Ghana will be hunted or harnessed, to ensure that we place them in very competitive schools abroad,” Dr Awaah said.
He explained that placements would be aligned with countries known for excellence in specific sports disciplines.
“So for instance, if you are from Zuarongo, where I come from, and you play table tennis, why won’t we get you a scholarship to study in a school in China where table tennis is what they do well in,” he added.
While acknowledging the dominance of football, Dr Awaah said the board would deliberately redirect attention and investment to other sporting disciplines.
“His Excellency John Dramani Mahama respects football a lot, but he’s also made it very clear that beyond football, we must be looking at other sports,” he said, noting that the board intended to shift the narrative from so-called lesser-known sports to “other competitive sports”.
The board also plans to address long-standing welfare concerns within the sports sector, including the plight of retired athletes who fall into hardship.
“It is our plan that we would have a sports kind of insurance that whilst people are in their active playing lives, bits of their investment goes into that policy, so that when they are on retirement, they do not become destitute,” Dr Awaah said.
He said the scheme would mirror pension arrangements in other professions and offer long-term security to sportsmen and women.
Dr Awaah further outlined plans to introduce innovative investment models such as mobile sporting infrastructure to decentralise sports development and maximise limited resources.
“We are looking at innovative models such as mobile boxing rings, so that in districts you can have a boxing bout,” he said, adding that such facilities could be rotated across communities.
He stated that the policy measures discussed would be implemented through the Office of the NSA Director General when implementation begins in 2026.
Members of the Board include the Director General of the National Sports Authority, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, Fuseini Bawa of the National Sports College, Samuel Duku Sarfo from the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, Nana Adwoa Owusu Amoh from the Ministry of Finance, Is Haku Al Hassan from the Ministry of Education, and Col Richard Kofi Akoto representing the Security Services Sports Association.
Others are Dr Luguterah Austin Wontepaga representing tertiary institutions, Samson Deen from the National Paralympic Committee, Richard Kofi Akpokavie of the Ghana Olympic Committee, Hajia Sulemana Zenabu and Alhaji Iddris Muntawakilu Ahmed as distinguished sporting personalities, as well as Prof Emmanuel Osei Sarpong, Theresa Osahene and Hamilton Kweku Nixon representing persons in sports development.
