Government has budgeted construction of 10 new stadia - President Mahama confirms

President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed the government's commitment to improving sports infrastructure in Ghana, including plans to construct 10 new stadia across the country.

The President reiterated the pledge when Ghana Premier League champions Medeama SC, Nations FC and women's champions Ampem Darkoa Ladies paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House.

The initiative was first outlined by Sports Minister Kofi Iddie Adams at the 32nd Ordinary Congress, where he revealed revised government plans aimed at addressing the country's sports infrastructure deficit.

Mahama said the decision to build 10 mini-stadia was intended to tackle the shortage of modern sporting facilities, particularly in regions without suitable venues.

"Some of the original regions in Ghana do not have stadia, and the six new regions that were created also do not have stadia," he said.

The President added that funding for the project had already been captured in the 2026 national budget.

"We have made allocations in the 2026 budget to start the construction of 10 new stadia," he said.

Mahama also highlighted the deteriorating condition of the Ho Sports Stadium, indicating that the facility would require extensive rehabilitation.

"The Ho Sports Stadium has deteriorated so much that we are going to have to almost start from scratch and refurbish it," he added.

The President stressed that the planned facilities would cater for multiple sporting disciplines rather than football alone.

"We want to make sure that the stadia that we build are not just football stadia. They will have football pitches, athletics tracks and facilities for other sporting disciplines like basketball and volleyball."

His comments come at a time when several major sporting venues in Ghana are undergoing renovation or refurbishment works.

The National Sports Authority (NSA) has suspended domestic football matches at the Accra Sports Stadium as efforts continue to upgrade the venue to meet Confederation of African Football (CAF) requirements ahead of Ghana's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Gabon later this month.

Renovation works are also ongoing at the Takoradi Stadium, while the Baba Yara Stadium and Cape Coast Stadium are expected to undergo minor refurbishment before the end of 2026.