Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has appealed to Parliament to review restrictions preventing alcoholic beverage companies from sponsoring sporting activities in Ghana.

He says the existing regulatory framework is denying Ghanaian football access to significant private-sector investment, citing a proposed sponsorship deal worth more than US$5 million annually with Guinness Ghana Limited that failed to materialise.

Okraku made the appeal on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, when he appeared before Parliament’s Select Committee on Youth and Sports alongside members of the GFA Executive Council.

According to the GFA president, Guinness Ghana approached the Association with plans to invest heavily in the Ghana Premier League. The two parties reportedly held several meetings to discuss the proposed partnership.

However, the negotiations came to an end after the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) declined to approve the arrangement because of restrictions on alcohol-related sponsorship of sports.

“We were approached by Guinness Ghana Limited wanting to invest heavily in the Ghana Premier League. We did whatever we had to do. We had a series of meetings. At the end, FDA said no. The deal was, if I’m not mistaken, over $5 million a year. We lost it,” he told the committee.

Okraku calls for changes to FDA restrictions

The GFA president believes the FDA’s authority to approve or reject sponsorship agreements involving alcoholic beverage companies should be reviewed.

He urged Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee to lead efforts to remove the provision that allows the regulator to determine whether alcohol companies can sponsor sporting activities.

“Mr Chairman, if there’s one thing that you can do to help sports and football, that would be for you to lead the charge to completely take out that provision that gives the power to FDA to decide on what they can use their resources to support in respect to sports or football,” he added.

Okraku argued that allowing alcohol brands to support sporting competitions could create additional commercial opportunities for football and other sporting disciplines.

He also pointed out that major football competitions in other countries attract sponsorship from international alcohol brands, while Ghanaian sports organisations face restrictions that limit similar partnerships.

What the restriction means for Ghanaian football

The proposed Guinness Ghana partnership would have provided a significant potential source of revenue for the Ghana Premier League.

Football clubs depend on sponsorship, broadcasting revenue, ticket sales and other commercial activities to finance their operations, pay players and improve their facilities.

A sponsorship arrangement worth more than US$5 million annually could have offered substantial financial support to the league, although the GFA president’s estimate has not been independently confirmed as a finalised contract.

The debate also raises questions about how Ghana can balance commercial investment in sports with public health concerns surrounding alcohol promotion.

The restriction is contained in FDA guidelines issued under Section 148 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851). It is therefore important to distinguish the existing regulatory guidelines from a separate Act of Parliament.

FDA’s position and the way forward

Okraku’s comments have renewed attention on the relationship between sports sponsorship, business investment and public health regulation in Ghana.

The GFA wants Parliament to consider removing the provision that gives the FDA authority over sponsorship arrangements involving alcoholic beverage companies.

However, any review will also involve questions about responsible alcohol marketing, the protection of young audiences and the public health implications of associating alcoholic beverages with sporting activities.

The FDA’s response to Okraku’s latest comments was not included in the reports available at the time of publication.

For now, the proposed Guinness Ghana deal remains an opportunity the GFA says it lost, while the call for a review of the restrictions has placed the issue before lawmakers.

The debate could have wider implications for how football and other sporting organisations attract corporate sponsorship in Ghana.

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