Sports Minister Vows Not to Neglect Existing Stadiums Amid Plans for New Constructions
Minister of Youth and Sports, Kofi Adams, has assured Ghanaians that the country’s existing stadiums will not be neglected, even as government rolls out plans to construct seven new stadiums as promised by President John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking on Channel One News Room, Mr. Adams emphasized that the Ministry will prioritize the refurbishment of current facilities to ensure they meet international standards and serve both players and fans effectively.
“We are not just going to renovate, we are going to refurbish [existing stadiums],” the Minister 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 must properly refurbish the stadia that we have to a standard that is very acceptable.”
Ghana’s major stadiums have been grappling with deterioration in recent years. The Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi and the Essipong Stadium in Sekondi are currently shut down for renovation works, while a section of the Accra Sports Stadium remains closed for safety reasons.
The situation recently forced the Ghana national team’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Mali to admit only 26,000 fans out of the venue’s 40,000-seating capacity, highlighting the urgent need for structural improvements.
Mr. Adams stressed that alongside refurbishment of existing facilities, the government is committed to expanding access to sports infrastructure by constructing new stadiums in regions that currently lack standard venues.
“We will also build in regions that do not have anything that they can refer to as a stadium,” he noted.