The Minister-designate for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif on Thursday, February, 25 at his vetting indicated the intention of the government to set up a University for Sports Development after hosting the African Games in 2023.

The country in 2018 won the bid to host the African Games which was formerly known as the All African Games.

Though the country is yet to begin the construction of the multipurpose sports facility to host the games in 2023, the Minister-designate assured the Committee of government's commitment to ensure facilities are built for the games.

The Sports Minister-designate explained that the government intends to use facilities including the main stadia and the Games Village to set up the University for Sports Development.

“The [Olympic Village] will be an entirely new facility we’ll put up for the All Africa Games but after the games, we have to utilise the facility.

“The government’s policy is that we will turn the facility into a University for Sports Development.

“In the whole of West Africa, we have no such university. What we have currently is a College in Winneba but we want to use this opportunity to set up a University which will be the second of its kind in the whole of Africa. That is the policy direction of government,” he explained.

The President in his last SONA address assured Members of Parliament and the country of his commitment towards ensuring the games are held as scheduled.

He also set up a Local Organizing Committee (LOC) to ensure smooth and successful activities before and after the games.

The Minister-designate in answering the question posed by MP for Akwapim South, O. B. Amoah on the benefits Ghana could get from hosting the games, indicated that Ghana in the process will build its human capacity, create employment for the youth, and also enhance the economy.

Ghana currently has a National Sports College situated at Winneba running programmes in sports and also developing talents in various disciplines.

The new University is however intended to consolidate the college’s effort and also place Ghana as the 2nd country to have a sports University after South Africa.

The Minister-designate is the immediate past Executive Director of the Ghana National Service Scheme and has been credited with implementing significant policies that helped transform the scheme.

He is also the Member of Parliament for Yagaba-Kubori Constituency in the North East Region after recapturing the seat he first won in 2012, but lost in the 2016 elections.