Civil society organisation argues that football financing must not compromise child protection and public health
The Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development Ghana (VAST Ghana), together with other civil society organisations, has rejected calls by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to lift restrictions on alcohol sponsorship and advertising in sporting activities.
The organisation insists that relaxing the existing restrictions would expose children and young people to alcohol marketing and undermine public health safeguards established to protect them from alcohol-related harm.
The position follows renewed calls by GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku on November 4, 2026, for a review of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) restrictions, which he argues are limiting commercial opportunities and depriving Ghanaian football of potentially significant investment.
According to media reports, the GFA has cited the loss of a proposed sponsorship agreement with Guinness Ghana, reportedly valued at more than US$5 million annually, as one of the financial consequences of the restrictions.
However, in a statement issued on November 7, 2026, VAST Ghana acknowledged the financial challenges confronting sports development but maintained that the need to mobilise resources for football should not take precedence over the health and welfare of children.
The organisation argued that Ghana must not weaken public health regulations to accommodate the commercial interests of an industry whose products are associated with preventable diseases, injuries, disabilities and premature deaths.
VAST Ghana maintained that the FDA restrictions should not be misconstrued as a general ban on alcohol or an attempt to prevent alcoholic beverage companies from conducting business in Ghana.
Rather, it said the regulations provide a framework for controlling alcohol advertising, particularly marketing activities that could expose minors to alcoholic products.
The organisation cited the FDA Guidelines for Advertisement of Regulated Products, FDA/DRI/DMS/GL-ADV/2023/01, issued under the authority of Section 148 of Part Seven of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851).
It pointed specifically to Guideline 3.11.9(c), which prohibits advertisements from associating alcoholic beverages with sporting activities.
Guideline 3.11.10 also extends the restriction to activities requiring care and skill or involving physical danger, including sports, recreation, crafts and hobbies.
Additionally, Guideline 3.12.1 prohibits advertisements that directly or indirectly appeal to persons below 18 years or are placed in media targeted at that age group.
According to VAST Ghana, these provisions establish a clear regulatory basis for preventing alcohol brands from using sporting activities as platforms to reach children and adolescents.
The organisation further argued that sponsorship arrangements should be recognised as commercial advertising rather than presented solely as corporate philanthropy.
It explained that the FDA guidelines define sponsorship as an arrangement through which an individual or company provides financial support for a radio or television programme or another event in exchange for an opportunity to advertise.
On that basis, VAST Ghana contended that alcohol sponsorship of football could translate into brand visibility on players’ jerseys, advertising boards around stadiums and television broadcasts watched by children.
It therefore maintained that allowing alcohol companies to sponsor sporting activities would create opportunities for repeated exposure to alcohol brands among young audiences.
The civil society organisation also addressed the possible legal implications of the Ghana Sports Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1159), arguing that the legislation does not automatically invalidate existing restrictions on alcohol advertising.
VAST Ghana said the FDA’s authority to regulate alcoholic beverage advertisements derives from the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), rather than the Sports Fund Act.
It noted that although the Sports Fund Act establishes mechanisms for mobilising resources to support sports development, it does not expressly repeal, amend or suspend the FDA’s existing regulatory powers.
The organisation drew attention to Section 3(j) of the Sports Fund Act, which identifies 10 per cent of the total cost of beverage advertisements as one of the sources of revenue for the Fund.
However, it argued that the provision does not clearly define the term ‘beverages’ or specify the categories of products covered.
VAST Ghana cautioned against interpreting the provision as an automatic authorisation for alcoholic beverage advertising or sponsorship in sports.
It maintained that the revenue mobilisation provisions of the Sports Fund Act must be implemented in a manner consistent with the Public Health Act and the FDA guidelines.
According to the organisation, the two laws can operate alongside each other without compromising the country’s public health objectives.
To reinforce its position, VAST Ghana referred to a Supreme Court decision delivered on June 19, 2024, concerning restrictions imposed by the FDA on celebrities and other well-known personalities endorsing alcoholic beverages.
The organisation said the Supreme Court, by a majority decision of five to two, dismissed a challenge to the FDA’s directive.
It further stated that the Court held that the guidelines were not unreasonably excessive and did not violate the 1992 Constitution.
VAST Ghana argued that the ruling affirmed the FDA’s authority to introduce measures aimed at protecting children from alcohol exposure, even where such measures affect the commercial interests of businesses.
It consequently urged Parliament to resist any proposal that could undermine the FDA’s statutory responsibility to regulate alcohol advertising in the interest of public health.
VAST Ghana also cited statistics on alcohol consumption among adults and adolescents to demonstrate why Ghana should maintain restrictions on alcohol marketing.
According to the organisation, findings from the 2023 Ghana WHO STEPwise approach to NCD Risk Factor Surveillance (STEPS) indicate that 22.6 per cent of adults aged between 18 and 69 currently consume alcohol.
More concerning, it said, is the reported prevalence among adolescents.
The organisation cited the same surveillance findings as indicating that 12.6 per cent of adolescents aged between 11 and 19 currently consume alcohol.
It also referenced the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, which reportedly found that 11.5 per cent of boys aged 15 to 19 had consumed alcohol during the month preceding the survey.
VAST Ghana said the statistics demonstrate that underage alcohol consumption remains a public health concern requiring preventive interventions.
It warned that associating alcohol brands with football, entertainment and sporting achievements could contribute to normalising alcohol consumption among young people and influence their attitudes towards drinking.
The organisation therefore believes that maintaining restrictions on alcohol marketing through sports is an important part of efforts to prevent early alcohol initiation.
VAST Ghana further argued that Ghana’s international human rights commitments require the state to protect children from commercial activities that could threaten their health and development.
It cited the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), to which Ghana is a State Party.
According to the organisation, Article 3 of the Convention requires the best interests of the child to be treated as a primary consideration in all actions concerning children.
Article 17 calls on states to protect children from information and materials injurious to their well-being, while Article 24 recognises every child’s right to the highest attainable standard of health.
It also referenced the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which places similar obligations on governments to safeguard children’s welfare, health and development.
At the domestic level, VAST Ghana cited Article 28(1)(d) of the 1992 Constitution, which requires children and young persons to receive special protection against exposure to physical and moral hazards.
The organisation said these constitutional and international obligations should guide Parliament and other state institutions when considering proposals that could increase children’s exposure to alcohol advertising.
It maintained that commercial interests and the need to generate revenue for sports must be balanced against the fundamental responsibility to protect children from preventable harm.
Beyond the immediate concerns about children and advertising, VAST Ghana warned that weakening alcohol marketing restrictions could have wider implications for Ghana’s healthcare system.
The organisation noted that alcohol consumption is associated with several non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and liver disease.
It argued that repeatedly associating alcoholic beverage brands with popular sporting activities could contribute to the normalisation of alcohol consumption, potentially increasing future health risks.
According to VAST Ghana, the resulting disease burden could place additional pressure on households, communities and government resources through increased demand for healthcare services.
The organisation also linked the debate to the government’s healthcare financing agenda, particularly the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as MahamaCares, and the Free Primary Healthcare initiative.
It said efforts to expand access to healthcare and strengthen the management of diseases should be complemented by policies that prevent avoidable health risks.
VAST Ghana maintained that it would be contradictory for government to invest in expanding healthcare services while weakening existing safeguards designed to prevent exposure to harmful products.
It therefore called for prevention to remain a central component of Ghana’s healthcare financing and universal health coverage agenda.
While opposing alcohol sponsorship in sports, the organisation acknowledged that football and other sporting disciplines require reliable and sustainable sources of financing.
It, however, insisted that Ghana has several alternative funding mechanisms that can be strengthened without exposing children to alcohol marketing.
VAST Ghana identified provisions under the Ghana Sports Fund Act, which include parliamentary allocations, proceeds from special sports lotteries, sports betting fees and charges, gate proceeds, athlete transfers, sponsorship proceeds, sports competitions, certification fees, grants, donations and investments.
It urged government and sports administrators to improve the mobilisation and management of these resources while attracting corporate sponsorship from industries whose products do not present comparable public health concerns.
The organisation also called for greater accountability in sports financing to ensure that available resources are efficiently utilised.
In support of its argument that additional funding could be mobilised from existing revenue streams, VAST Ghana cited the Ministry of Finance’s Annual Tax Revenue Performance Report 2025.
According to the report, domestic excise revenue of GH¢1.56 billion, equivalent to approximately US$125.70 million, was realised during the period. The figure includes excise duties collected from alcoholic beverages.
The organisation said it remains willing to engage the GFA, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Ministry of Health, the FDA and other stakeholders to develop a sponsorship framework that supports football while protecting children.
Its Executive Director, Labram Musah, proposed that rather than allowing alcohol companies to advertise through football, government could explore allocating a portion of excise tax revenue to sports development.
“If the Association needs revenue, we will walk with them to the Ministry of Finance and argue for a share of excise tax revenue. Let the product pay for the game without putting its name on our screens, children’s shirts etc. That offer is still open, and it is now worth more than the deal they lost,” Mr Musah said.
The proposal, according to VAST Ghana, would allow the government to mobilise resources from alcohol-related tax revenue to support sports without creating direct promotional opportunities for alcoholic beverage brands.
The organisation said such an approach could help reconcile the financial needs of football with the country’s public health responsibilities.
VAST Ghana called on Parliament, the FDA, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, sports federations, civil society organisations, traditional authorities, community leaders and the media to support policies that protect children from alcohol-related harm.
It urged the relevant institutions to maintain the existing regulatory safeguards and explore sustainable funding alternatives for Ghanaian sports.
The organisation reiterated that the country’s sports development agenda should not depend on commercial arrangements that could expose children and vulnerable groups to potentially harmful marketing.
It concluded that Ghana must invest in the growth of football and other sporting disciplines without encouraging the normalisation of alcohol consumption, insisting that children’s right to health must not be sacrificed for commercial interests.
By 1960news.com
