Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development Ghana (VAST Ghana) has criticised the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for seeking the removal of restrictions on alcohol-related sponsorships in sporting activities, warning that the move could endanger children’s welfare.
The advocacy group, which is working alongside other civil society organisations, maintains that protecting public health must take precedence over efforts to attract private investment into football.
The dispute follows renewed calls by GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku on November 4, 2026, for the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to reconsider its advertising rules.
The Association argues that the measures have deprived local football of valuable commercial partnerships, including a proposed Guinness Ghana deal estimated at more than US$5 million yearly.
However, VAST Ghana insists that financial difficulties within the sports sector cannot justify exposing minors to promotional campaigns for alcoholic products.
In a public statement, the organisation acknowledged the importance of securing reliable funding for sporting activities but stressed that such efforts must respect existing health protection measures.
It explained that the FDA’s regulations are intended to prevent young audiences from encountering alcohol promotions rather than restrict the industry’s general business operations.
The group referred to the FDA’s 2023 Advertising Guidelines, established under Section 148 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851). It highlighted provisions 3.11.9(c) and 3.11.10, which prohibit linking alcoholic drinks with sporting and other activities involving physical skills or risks.
Another provision, 3.12.1, bars promotional content designed to attract persons below 18 years or placed in platforms specifically intended for them.
VAST Ghana further dismissed suggestions that football partnerships amount to charitable contributions, explaining that businesses receive brand visibility in exchange for financial backing.
It argued that displaying alcohol company identities on players’ jerseys, stadium advertising structures and televised matches provides an avenue for reaching younger audiences.
The organisation also rejected claims that the Ghana Sports Fund Act, 2025 (Act 1159), provides grounds for relaxing the existing restrictions.
According to the group, the FDA’s regulatory mandate originates from the Public Health Act and remains intact because the Sports Fund legislation contains no express provision cancelling, modifying or suspending those powers.
It drew attention to Section 3(j) of Act 1159, which allocates 10 per cent of the total expenditure on beverage advertisements towards the Sports Fund. However, VAST Ghana observed that the legislation does not clearly distinguish between alcoholic and non-alcoholic products.
It therefore cautioned against treating the provision as an endorsement of alcohol promotion through sporting events, insisting that both legal frameworks should be enforced without conflict.
The group also cited a Supreme Court judgment delivered on June 19, 2024, which upheld the FDA’s restrictions on celebrities and other prominent individuals endorsing alcoholic beverages.
The ruling, reached by a five-member majority against two dissenting judges, dismissed a constitutional challenge to the regulator’s advertising directives.
VAST Ghana said the decision further establishes the legitimacy of the FDA’s authority and urged Parliament to resist any initiative that could undermine its enforcement responsibilities.
To reinforce its concerns, the organisation presented figures from national health surveys showing the prevalence of alcohol consumption among adults and teenagers.
Results from the 2023 Ghana WHO STEPwise survey indicated that 22.6 per cent of individuals between 18 and 69 years were consuming alcohol at the time of the study.
The research also recorded a 12.6 per cent drinking rate among adolescents aged 11 to 19. Additionally, the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey established that 11.5 per cent of male teenagers aged 15 to 19 had taken alcohol within the month preceding the research.
The organisation believes these findings highlight the urgency of preventing marketing activities that could encourage drinking habits among minors.
Beyond the health implications, VAST Ghana maintained that Ghana has legal obligations under national and international instruments to shield children from damaging commercial influences.
It referenced the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly Articles 3, 17 and 24, which address children’s welfare, protection from harmful information and entitlement to the highest possible standard of health.
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child was also cited as another framework requiring governments to safeguard minors’ interests, wellbeing and development.
Domestically, the organisation pointed to Article 28(1)(d) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which guarantees special protection for children and young people against physical and moral dangers.
VAST Ghana consequently called on policymakers to ensure that decisions concerning sports financing do not compromise these responsibilities, emphasising that commercial interests must never outweigh the protection of young people and the wider population.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong