Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has officially pledged two months of his salary to the newly established Ghana Sports Fund.
This personal commitment, effective February 2026, serves as the cornerstone of a broader legislative push to move the sector beyond its historical reliance on “talent and hope” toward a future defined by financial stability.
The move follows the historic passage of legislation on December 18, 2025, which created Ghana’s first permanent statutory financing mechanism, a reform credited to the vision of President John Dramani Mahama to place sports at the heart of national development.
The call for financial support saw an immediate and robust response from the parliamentary leadership.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga announced that the entire Majority front bench would commit portions of their earnings, with the Majority Chief Whip leading the charge by pledging three months of his salary.
High-profile Cabinet members have also stepped forward, including Finance Minister Ato Forson and the Minister for Roads, who have both committed one month’s salary to the cause.
This collective effort was further bolstered by several other Members of Parliament who have pledged their entire February 2026 salaries to ensure the fund has the momentum needed to succeed.
While the National Investment Bank has already provided a foundational GH¢100,000 contribution, Kofi Adams emphasized that this must be the catalyst for a much larger national movement.
He noted that while global sports industries contribute significantly to GDP, many African nations currently receive less than 0.5% of GDP due to weak financial systems.
To bridge this gap, the Ghana Sports Fund is designed to be a transparent and accountable vehicle that will prioritize grassroots development to discover the next generation of stars, the construction of modern infrastructure, and the provision of comprehensive athlete welfare systems. This structured support is viewed as critical as the nation prepares for high-stakes international stages, most notably the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the optimism, the initiative has met with a mix of celebration and political caution. Vincent Assafuah, Ranking Member on the Sports and Recreation Committee, hailed the fund as a historic milestone that addresses the limping state of the sporting sector, yet he warned that the law must be backed by rigorous execution to avoid becoming a mere “paper promise.”
Meanwhile, the drive faced a partisan hurdle as Minority members, while acknowledging the fund’s importance, declined to make financial pledges, citing their status in the opposition as a reason for abstaining from the contribution campaign.
