President John Mahama has vowed to put an end to secrecy in government spending on sports, ensuring that every cedi allocated to national teams and sporting activities is made public.
Speaking before Parliament on February 27, 2025, in his State of the Nation Address, the President stressed that the days of unexplained budgets and unaccounted-for expenditures in the sports sector were over.
“There will be no secrecy in how much the government spends on the national teams,” President Mahama declared.
“The budgets presented by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and other sports associations must be known by the public. After all, it is the taxpayer’s funds that are used to fund these activities.”
His remarks come at a time when Ghana’s sports sector, once a powerhouse in football, boxing, and athletics, is grappling with serious structural inefficiencies.
The President acknowledged the declining performance of the Black Stars, calling them “a pale shadow of their former glory”, and stressed the need for accountability from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as the team prepares for its upcoming World Cup qualifiers next month.
“I have instructed my Office and the Minister to hold the GFA accountable to the people of Ghana as we prepare for these games, especially regarding the budget the FA has presented for the two matches,” he stated.
Beyond football, the government is taking bold steps to restructure sports governance. President Mahama announced that the Ministry of Youth and Sports had been renamed the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, highlighting a broader vision for sports participation at all levels.
A National Recreation Day and an annual National Recreation Festival will be launched to encourage healthy lifestyles, grassroots engagement, and the promotion of traditional games.
“The reduction in government expenditure and waste reduction apply to all sectors of the economy, including the Ministry of Sports and Recreation,” he affirmed, signaling a broader crackdown on wasteful spending in sports administration.
Another key initiative is the establishment of a School Sports Authority, which will oversee structured inter-school competitions and talent identification.
The President emphasized that over 60% of Ghana’s elite athletes emerged from school sports programmes, reinforcing the need to reinvest in grassroots sports development.
Infrastructure remains central to his administration’s plans.
The government has committed to refurbishing existing stadiums, completing youth resource centres, and constructing new sporting facilities in underserved regions.
These projects, Mahama assured, would be carried out with full public scrutiny.
President Mahama’s bold stance on transparency in sports spending has been widely welcomed by the public, particularly after years of allegations of financial mismanagement within the sector.
Many see his commitment to open budgeting and financial accountability as a critical step towards restoring trust in Ghana’s sports administration and revitalising the nation’s sporting legacy.
As the Black Stars prepare for their crucial World Cup qualifiers, all eyes will be on the government’s next steps in ensuring that funds allocated for national teams are spent efficiently and transparently.
Credit: Abubakar Ibrahim
