President John Dramani Mahama says his government will redevelop the Ho Sports Stadium into a multi-purpose sports and commercial complex, betting that year-round business activity rather than football alone will make the facility financially sustainable.
Speaking during an inspection of the stadium, Mahama said the project would form part of the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative by incorporating retail, hospitality and entertainment facilities alongside modern sporting infrastructure.
“Our vision is not to build a stadium that serves only football matches. We want to develop a true multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex.”
The president said the redevelopment would begin with detailed architectural and engineering designs, which would be presented to traditional authorities, residents and other stakeholders for consultation before construction begins.
The project is expected to transform the stadium from an event-based venue into a commercial destination capable of generating business activity throughout the week.
“Under the 24-hour economy initiative, we want this facility to remain active every day by creating opportunities for business, recreation and entertainment.”
Mahama said the redeveloped stadium would include commercial shops, restaurants, entertainment centres and other supporting facilities to ensure continuous patronage even when sporting events are not taking place.
“Even when there are no football matches, people will still have reasons to visit the stadium, patronise businesses and participate in other recreational activities.”
He said the commercial model would create jobs, stimulate local economic activity and generate revenue to fund the facility’s long-term maintenance and operations.
“This approach will ensure that the facility contributes to economic activity while also generating revenue to support its maintenance and operations.”
Mahama described the Ho Sports Stadium as strategically located with sufficient surrounding land to accommodate a world-class sports complex serving both the municipality and the country.
“This stadium occupies a very strategic location within the municipality, and that is one of its greatest advantages.”
“In addition to its central location, it has enough surrounding land to allow us to develop a modern, world-class sports complex that will serve this municipality and the nation.”
The president said the upgraded facility would feature a natural grass pitch with a computerized irrigation system and modern spectator stands designed to meet international standards.
The redevelopment also forms part of a broader government strategy to increase the number of stadiums certified by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
“Our broader objective is to ensure that Ghana has at least five stadiums over the next few years that fully meet CAF standards for hosting major continental competitions.”
Mahama said improved sports infrastructure would strengthen Ghana’s ambition to host another Africa Cup of Nations after staging the tournament in 2008, potentially through a joint bid with Côte d’Ivoire.
“One possibility is to work together with our neighbours, particularly Côte d’Ivoire, to jointly host a future edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.”
He said work on the project would begin immediately with the preparation of redevelopment designs, after which the government would return to Ho for public consultations before cutting the sod for construction.
“Government is committed to reconstructing this facility, and we will allocate the necessary resources to ensure that this vision becomes a reality.”
