Essipong Sports Stadium will be brought to life again - Sports Minister Kofi Adams

The Essipong Sports Stadium, once a flagship venue for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, has slipped into alarming disrepair, raising fresh concerns over the state of Ghana’s sporting infrastructure.

The decline was brought to light during a recent inspection tour led by the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, alongside the Director General of the National Sports Authority, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. The 20,000-seater facility has gone nearly two decades without any major rehabilitation, leaving sections of the structure visibly deteriorated and unfit for regular sporting activity.

According to officials, the original rehabilitation plan — split into two phases — was expected to replace the roofing with anti-rust materials, install new seats, refurbish washrooms, introduce air-conditioning units, fix lighting and sunglasses fittings, and provide a modern scoreboard. Yet much of this work remains incomplete.

The tour also revealed a new challenge: parts of the stadium’s lands have been encroached upon by private developers. The minister urged the Western Regional Coordinating Council and traditional authorities to intervene swiftly to reclaim the affected areas.

Beyond the initial scope of work, additional improvements are being proposed, including a full overhaul of the pitch, upgrades to the public address system, enhancement of corporate boxes and hostel facilities, and improvements to security zones and dressing rooms. These additions are aimed at restoring the stadium to full operational capacity.

Hon. Adams stressed the pressing need for sustained investment in maintaining and developing sports infrastructure nationwide. He appealed to the media to rally support for the National Sports Development Fund, noting that President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated the government’s commitment to revitalising the sector.

While he expressed satisfaction with the quality of work completed so far, the minister did not hide his disappointment over the sluggish pace of progress. He called for an acceleration of the rehabilitation process to ensure the stadium can reopen to athletes and fans as soon as possible.

He reaffirmed the government’s determination to bring Essipong back to life, describing the facility as a vital asset that must be restored without delay.