By Nadia Ntiamoah
Parliament has formally passed the Ghana Sports Fund Bill, marking a significant milestone in decades-long efforts to secure sustainable and predictable funding for sports development in the country.
The passage of the Bill on last Thursday, December 18, 2025, brings to a close the legislative consideration stage of a proposal that has been widely described as a game-changer for the sports sector.
The Bill was taken under a Certificate of Urgency, underscoring the government’s determination to fast-track reforms in a sector long plagued by inconsistent funding and overreliance on state subventions.
The Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, was present in the House alongside the Chairman of Parliament’s Sports Committee, Ernest Norgbey, as lawmakers completed deliberations on the proposed law.
Parliamentary Process and Approval
The Long Title of the Bill—“An Act to establish the Ghana Sports Fund to provide sustainable funding for sports development in the country and sports for development, to provide for the management of the Fund and for related matters”—was read to the House during the consideration stage.
Responding on behalf of the Parliamentary Sports Committee, Chairman Ernest Norgbey confirmed that there were “no advertised amendments,” effectively clearing the way for the Bill to proceed without further changes.
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, subsequently put the question to the House.
The motion received overwhelming support, prompting the Deputy Speaker to declare: “The Long Title is ordered to stand part of the Bill.”
Following this, Sports Minister Kofi Adams formally moved for the Bill to be read a third time. “Speaker, I move that motion numbered 31 on today’s Order Paper be taken.
By doing so, I request that this Bill that has just gone through consideration be read a third time,” he stated.
A final vote was then conducted, after which the Bill was duly passed by Parliament.
What the Sports Fund Seeks to Achieve
The newly approved law establishes the Ghana Sports Fund as a dedicated financing mechanism to support sports development and sports-for-development initiatives nationwide.
The Fund is expected to address long-standing challenges such as inadequate athlete support, poor infrastructure, limited grassroots development, and irregular funding for national teams and federations.
Under the framework already outlined by government, the Fund will draw from multiple revenue streams, including parliamentary allocations, special sports lotteries, grants and sponsorships, levies on sports betting companies, gate proceeds, athlete transfer fees, certification revenues, and contributions from international sports federations.
This diversified funding model is intended to guarantee stability, transparency, and sustainability.
The passage of the Sports Fund Bill is the culmination of years of advocacy by sports administrators, athletes, and policymakers who have argued that the heavy dependence on central government funding has stifled growth across various disciplines beyond football.
Previous attempts to create a statutory sports fund stalled at different stages, often due to political transitions and legislative bottlenecks.
The renewed push gained momentum in 2025, when the Ministry of Sports and Recreation laid the Bill before Parliament, supported by broader reforms including the National Sports College Bill and the Anti-Doping Bill.
