President John Dramani Mahama in a championship belt
As a serial sports investor and sports business champion, I have always advocated a deliberate approach to the way sports is conceived, planned and executed in Ghana.
This is because I have a good appreciation for the potential sports wields in this country and the work required to move it from being just a past time to a massive business industry that will rival any thriving sector in this country.
Sports is the only thing that meets the three most important marketing requirements for any product, emotions, results and mass participation.
However, the role government and the presidency at any given time has to play in this development has been the challenge.
The President’s Cup football game between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, another memorable event of a SuperClash is a manifestation of inspiring role the presidency, government and its agencies can play across resourcefulness, organization and leadership.
The leadership of President Mahama, his office and the various roles played by his appointees, ministries and agencies towards the weekend President’s Cup success is commendable and should serve as a catalyst to extending the conversation on how this leads the charge to do more.
I remember in 2016 when I organized the IBO World Title bout between Emmanuel Tagoe and Mzonke Fana of South Africa.
The event took place around electioneering period with heated campaigning and even though incumbent president, John Mahama had several challenges leading this country, still made time to attend the fight night and immersed himself in the activities of the event including the presentation of belt to eventual winners.
He would go on to lose the election a few days later in December 2016, but that act of his involvement, investment and promotion of sports was not only palpable, but inspiring.
In opposition for 8 years, President Mahama often supported sporting activities in diverse ways, demonstrating his commitment, participation and involvement in ways that only encourages organizers who have had the privilege of working with him.
In 2025 alone, his appearances at the U.15 Africa School Championship at the Legon Stadium, which he attended and stayed through the rains to perform his official duties, events by the Legacy Rise Sports consortium owned and bankrolled my his son, Sharaf and several others.
He has been backing his admonishing to officials in charge of sports in Ghana including Sports and Recreation Minister, Kofi Adams, President of the Ghana Football Association and other National federations, with the resourcefulness required to engender a real conversation about how we develop sports into a thriving industry.
The likes of Abeiku Santana, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah and other agencies are also doing their best to push the agenda.
The roles played by the Ashanti and Greater Accra Ministers in the build up to the President’s Cup cannot be overlooked and we require the same commitment, attention and investment to growing sports in general.
I applaud the initiative, efforts and commitment of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) for their role in rekindling the President’s Cup.
Chairman John Ansah and his team have done a good job that must be advanced for even better outcomes in the future.
Following the recent progress, I have curated a few recommendations to advance the course of Ghana sports becoming a massive business industry as follows:
– Deliberately harness President Mahama’s overwhelmingly goodwill and leadership grace thus far, barely 7 months into his second term and his party’s majority in Parliament to promote and pass the required laws to create a sports fund like we have for GETFUND for education to resource initial efforts at advancing sports business from the past time we have known it to be for decades. This will also require engaging the right individuals, groups and organizations with the experience, capability, network and expertise to succeed. Initial investment into the sports fund can be made available by our big corporations including the New Goldbod, Ghana Gas , GNPC and several multinational companies operating in Ghana for the right incentives.
– Engineer Parliament’s role in committing MPs to allocate at least 5% of their Common Fund to supporting Schools Sports and Colts football in their various constituencies
– Deliberately invest in improving technical capabilities of our coaches across sporting disciplines across the country in order for them to properly mentor and tutor talents.
– The Presidency can engineer another stakeholder engagement for sports akin to what has been done for business people, investors across different industries, education etc. This will be critical to generating a network of individuals, groups and organizations engaged in sports with the view of creating the base for a thriving industry.
My love letter to President Mahama ends with well wishes to him and his appointees and all pray for good health for him and his family so he can deliver and end his tenure as one of the best Presidents Ghana has ever had.
