Newly sworn-in Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Dr. Fred Awaah, has declared that the board is determined to elevate sports from a social entertainment activity to a major contributor to Ghana’s national economic development.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Graphic Sports immediately after the board’s inauguration ceremony at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, Dr. Awaah expressed profound gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Sports and Recreation, Hon. Kofi Iddie Adam, for the confidence placed in the new board.
“I am privileged to lead a board carefully selected from the sporting fraternity, academia, industry and politics,” Dr. Awaah said. “With the calibre of members representing various stakeholder organisations, I am confident we will work effectively to move sports into an enterprise that directly contributes to national economic growth.”
He revealed that the board’s ultimate goal is to significantly increase sports’ current 1.4% contribution to Ghana’s GDP by the end of its tenure, aligning with the government’s agenda of transforming the economy through sports.
Dr. Awaah assured all sporting associations and federations that the board will be guided by the President’s principle of giving equal attention to all disciplines to ensure holistic sector development.
“We are committed to working with local and international investors through mutually beneficial partnerships,” he told Graphic Sports.
The board’s key priorities, according to the Chairman, include:
• Developing existing and potential human resources in Ghana’s sports industry
• Building sports infrastructure across all regions of the country
• Enhancing sports values, ethics and integrity
• Leveraging sports to achieve related objectives under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
“These are our firm commitments to the President, the sector Minister and all stakeholders in Ghanaian sports,” Dr. Awaah emphasised.
The new board was sworn in earlier in the presence of the Hon. Minister, the Chief Director, directors from the Ministry and the NSA, as well as media representatives. Dr. Awaah described the occasion as “memorable” and pledged the board’s readiness to deliver tangible results for the sector.
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