Haruna Iddrisu calls for government and corporate support to boost football development

Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu has stressed the need for a joint effort between government and corporate bodies to accelerate the development of football in Ghana.

Speaking during a courtesy call by Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku on Tuesday, the Minister said sustainable football growth depends on investment in both infrastructure and sponsorship.

“The government will support you to build the infrastructure, and the president is expanding and providing the people of the Upper East with a dedicated sports stadium,” Haruna Iddrisu said. “I have seen the beautiful facility you’ve built by the roadside as you enter Bolgatanga, and we are grateful for that.”

The Minister, who lauded the GFA’s ongoing efforts, underscored the importance of branding and corporate engagement in promoting the sport.

“What is important in Ghana is corporate sponsorship for football, and we have to brand our football,” he said. “If you enter the Prime Minister’s office in the UK, you’ll see ‘Football Great Britain,’ ‘Culture Great Britain,’ ‘Innovation Great Britain, ' all well branded. Look at how far their football has come. We can learn from that, but we definitely need both corporate and government support to do more, and that you are assured we will do.”

On his part, GFA President Kurt Okraku thanked the Minister for the government’s continued commitment and reaffirmed the Association’s dedication to inclusive football development.

“Since I took office in 2019, I have made strong commitments to offer more opportunities to women,” Okraku noted. “At the last congress of the football association, we created one political opening for women, a woman will now serve as vice president of the FA. We have also provided several governance opportunities to women, and currently, about 90 percent of the Black Queens players are playing abroad.”

He added that the GFA remains focused on offering hope, livelihood, and opportunities for both male and female footballers while working closely with government to advance national sports development.

 

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