Kofi Adams addressing Parliament
Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has announced that government will embark on a comprehensive refurbishment of the country’s existing sports facilities, even as President John Dramani Mahama has pledged the construction of seven new stadia next year.
Two of Ghana’s major venues — the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi and the Essipong Stadium in Sekondi — are currently closed for renovation, while several others across the country have fallen into disrepair due to years of neglect.
The Accra Sports Stadium, the only venue certified to host CAF and FIFA-sanctioned matches, has also had parts of its stands cordoned off over safety concerns.
Speaking in an interview with Channel One, Mr. Adams, who also serves as the MP for Buem, emphasised that the Ministry’s plan would deliver more than just cosmetic repairs.
“We are not just going to renovate, we are going to refurbish [existing stadiums],” he said. “When I took over and looked through the documents, huge sums of money — millions of cedis — had been spent in the name of renovation, but we don’t see anything. We think that we must properly refurbish the stadia that we have to a standard that is very acceptable.”
Mr. Adams also revealed that beyond refurbishments, government intends to extend sporting infrastructure to regions without any standard stadiums.
“We will also build in regions that do not have anything they can refer to as a stadium,” he added.
The move signals a shift toward improving both the quality and accessibility of sports facilities in Ghana, as the ministry seeks to balance upgrades of historic venues with the expansion of infrastructure nationwide.
BY Wletsu Ransford