“Sports Minister inspects abandoned Nyinahin Youth Resource Centre, vows completion”

As part of his nationwide infrastructure assessment tour, Minister for Sports and Recreation, Hon. Kofi Iddie Adams, has conducted an inspection of the stalled Nyinahin Youth Resource Centre in the Ashanti Region, pledging to take urgent steps to complete the long-abandoned 5,000-seat facility.

Joined by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, and other officials, the Minister toured the site to evaluate the extent of work required to bring the ambitious multi-purpose complex to completion. The visit was guided by Adutwum Sam, Sports Development Officer of the National Sports Authority (NSA) for Atwima Mponua District.

Describing the situation as “95 per cent complete on paper, yet physically deteriorating,” Mr. Sam lamented the state of neglect. Since the main contractor abandoned the project in November 2024 without formally handing it over, the facility has faced rapid deterioration—terraces have been overtaken by weeds, the pitch lies uncared for, and many internal spaces remain unfinished.

Encroachment also continues to threaten the site due to unresolved boundary issues. According to local officials, vital land documentation is still in the possession of a former National Youth Authority (NYA) administrator and has yet to be retrieved.

Though the grandstand includes a designated VIP section—its exact seating capacity is under review—it is already showing signs of water damage. Proposed amenities such as basketball and volleyball courts, an indoor arena, ICT hub, restaurants, and administrative offices remain dormant, while sports-specific works such as surfacing, floodlights, dressing rooms, and spectator facilities are still pending.

Calling the scene “heart-breaking,” Hon. Adams stressed that the majority of funding for the project came from the District Development Fund and expressed disappointment at the current state of disrepair.

“We cannot allow a facility of this scale to decay. Our task now is to secure the land, resolve documentation issues, and remobilise a contractor so this centre can serve the youth of Ghana,” he said.

“Most of what is left is sports-specific. I will be meeting with the Ministry of Youth Development to unlock whatever is necessary to move this project from 95 per cent to full completion.”

Hon. Adams added that football clubs such as Bibiani Gold Stars had already identified Nyinahin as a potential alternative venue, emphasising its strategic importance to the region’s sporting landscape.

Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene pledged the full support of the Regional Coordinating Council, promising swift action to secure the site and fast-track approvals necessary for construction to resume.

The Nyinahin visit follows the Minister’s recent inspection of Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi and forms part of a broader national effort to audit and reactivate stalled sports infrastructure projects across the country.