Ghana’s Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has called for a bold economic transformation of African football, urging governments and the private sector to invest massively in the sport’s commercialisation to unlock its full economic potential.
Delivering a keynote address at the groundbreaking 2025 African Football Business Summit (AFBS25) in Mombasa, Kenya, Mr Adams said Ghana was already blazing the trail with a new football economy framework anchored on transparency, grassroots excellence, local value retention and continental collaboration.
Ghana’s blueprint
Citing Ghana’s recent interventions to strengthen its domestic football, the minister highlighted a government-backed broadcast partnership that injected a record GH¢1 million into each of the 18 Ghana Premier League (GPL) clubs ahead of the 2025/26 season.
In addition, he said, the government had announced unprecedented prize packages, including a fourfold increase in the champion’s prize money to GH¢2 million, along with substantial boosts in match officials’ remuneration and operational support for the league.
“These interventions are not mere sponsorships,” Mr Adams explained at the October 23–24 summit. “They are part of a deliberate national football economy policy designed to make the sport self-sustaining, profitable and competitive across Africa.”
He urged other African nations to adopt similar models — integrating national football business frameworks, tax incentives and infrastructure guarantees to encourage private sector partnerships while expanding youth academies into viable talent and employment centres.
The minister underscored the urgent need for African football to embrace commercialisation beyond the pitch, through digital storytelling, data-driven insights and merchandising, to transform grassroots football into a dual sporting and economic engine.
Business of African football
The African Football Business Summit, organised by Football Foundation Africa, convened top industry stakeholders to explore strategies for building sustainable football economies across the continent.
Discussions focused on governance, youth development, player welfare and sports business investment, reflecting a growing recognition that African football’s future depends as much on boardroom decisions as on performance on the pitch.
Among the high-profile participants were Brian Wesaala, CEO of Football Foundation Africa and Convener of AFBS25; Nick Mwendwa, President of the Football Kenya Federation; Urs Lehmann, CEO of Infront Sports; Marlon Glean, President of the Grenada Football Association; and Majidane M’Djih, CEO of MRW Sport Capital, among others.
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