KGL-NLA deal raked in major revenue for national development - Razak Opoku 

Former Public Relations Officer of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mr. Razak Kojo Opoku, has mounted a strong defence of the partnership between the NLA and KGL Technology Limited, describing the collaboration as vital to the Authority’s financial recovery and national development.

In a statement, Mr. Opoku said KGL’s contributions through revenue payments, taxes, and social investments had been instrumental in stabilising the NLA’s finances, which were in distress prior to the partnership.

He dismissed as “misleading and inconsistent” recent reports by The Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which alleged that the NLA was not making profit from its deal with KGL.

According to Mr. Opoku, the figures tell a different story. “KGL paid GHS 157.6 million to the NLA in 2024 and is expected to pay GHS 170 million in 2025. In total, the NLA would receive GHS 327.6 million from KGL for the two financial years,” he stated, adding that such payments directly contradict claims that the Authority was not benefiting from the partnership.

He further revealed that in 2024 alone, KGL recorded a profit of GHS 70 million while paying more than twice that amount to the NLA.

He said the company’s tax obligations to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) also exceeded its net profit, demonstrating its substantial contribution to state revenue.

Mr. Opoku explained that the NLA’s financial struggles long predated the KGL agreement, noting that between 2012 and 2019 the Authority had accumulated debts of over GHS 233 million, including unpaid prizes, staff contributions, and taxes. “The NLA started recording losses before the KGL partnership was signed in November 2019,” he emphasised.

Addressing criticisms regarding the NLA’s transfers to the Consolidated Fund, Mr. Opoku clarified that such transfers were a matter of policy and management discretion, not the result of the KGL arrangement. He cited Section 32(3) and (4) of the National Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722), which requires the NLA to first settle winnings, commissions, and operational expenses before making any transfers.

“It would be unfair to blame KGL for the NLA’s inability to transfer funds when other financial obligations such as prize payments, commissions, and staff benefits have not been fulfilled,” the statement said.

Beyond its core operations, Mr. Opoku highlighted KGL’s extensive corporate social responsibility programmes, noting that the company reinvests 50 to 70 per cent of its profits into national development initiatives.

These include a multimillion-dollar mental health facility in Kumasi in partnership with the Asantehene, renovations at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, support for flood victims in Keta, donations to the Akropong School for the Blind, and sponsorships for national football teams.

KGL has also provided scholarships for orphans and underprivileged children, contributed GHS 2 million annually to the NLA Good Causes Foundation, and allocated GHS 3 million to the NLA-KGL Stabilisation Fund.

Mr. Opoku concluded that the partnership between the NLA and KGL remains a “mutually beneficial and transparent arrangement” that strengthens the NLA’s financial base while supporting job creation, tax revenue, and community development.