Majority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making sports a driving force in Ghana’s proposed 24-hour economy.
Speaking during a Parliamentary session on hooliganism in Ghanaian football, particularly in the Ghana Premier League, Ayariga emphasized the administration’s plans to revitalize the country’s sports sector.
“As part of the 24-hour economy strategy, sports is going to be a major cornerstone, and the Sports Minister has a major agenda to revive sports and football from the district to the regional level and at the national level.”
He further revealed that the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has already begun discussions with key stakeholders to bring this vision to life. Part of these efforts includes attracting international broadcasters to cover the local league.
“The Minister is already holding meetings with the media to see how we can project sports, and indeed he has revealed to me that he is looking to negotiate for Supersport and others to begin covering our local league.”
However, the feasibility of this initiative remains in question, given the challenges facing the Ghana Premier League. The league has recently suffered from multiple incidents of hooliganism, including the tragic death of Francis Yaw Frimpong and the assault on referee Esoh Morrison.
These incidents have led to a temporary suspension of the league, raising concerns about security and governance within Ghanaian football.
Securing an international partner like SuperSport would therefore require significant reforms and assurances to restore confidence in the league’s viability.
Attacks like this happen mostly in our @DivisionOneGH almost every weekend.
I promise there are a number of factors that lead to attacks like this .Will it ever stop? @ghanafaofficial@ElminaSharks vs @allblacksufc_45 pic.twitter.com/Ue0ASa34Zg
— Bennard Abeiku okyere (@bennardokyere) February 18, 2025
While the government’s ambition to elevate sports as a key component of the 24-hour economy is commendable, it remains a formidable challenge.
The responsibility now falls on the Sports Ministry and Minister Kofi Iddie Adams to take concrete steps in making the vision a reality.
