Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has defended government’s decision to commit GH₵200 million to the construction of mini stadia across selected regions, insisting the investment is necessary to close the infrastructure gap in Ghana’s sports sector.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show earlier today, the Finance Minister explained that the allocation, captured in the 2026 Budget Statement, is targeted mainly at newly created regions that currently have no standard sports facilities.
“These three regions are regions that do not have any sports facilities,” Dr. Forson said. “These are new regions. Regions already have some. Recently, some regions were created and some of them do not have any sporting facilities.”
Dr. Forson clarified that the funds have been allocated to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which will determine which regions receive the facilities based on need.
He added that beyond the three new regions, the Ministry has identified seven regions in total that currently lack proper stadia.
We have six new regions, and there is another existing region that doesn’t have one. I think it’s the Upper East Region that doesn’t have a stadium,” he noted. “And I think the Volta Region also doesn’t have a sports stadium; Ho Stadium is now a white elephant. There’s nothing there.
The GH₵200 million investment forms part of government’s wider plan to expand access to sports infrastructure nationwide ahead of the 2026 fiscal year.
2026 Budget: “These 3 regions are regions that do not have any sports facilities, so the focus is to give them a facility”. – Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Finance Minister.
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