The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea, has called for a thorough cost-benefit analysis of the sports sector to guide strategic investment and harness its economic potential.

Contributing to a statement in Parliament on the life and achievements of former Ghanaian Olympic boxing silver medalist Clement Ike Quartey, Atta Akyea emphasized that understanding the financial returns from sports is crucial for driving meaningful investments.

“Probably we’ve not done a cost-benefit analysis as to how sports will add to our GDP. And it is important. If sports is just for entertainment but it is not of serious economic value to this country, then we will not use our meager resources for sports,” he stated.

He further highlighted the need for a strategic blueprint to assess the financial viability of the sector, noting that sports could become a significant revenue stream for the country.

“People are touting underfunding of sports, but it is about time that we have a blueprint and do proper cost-benefit analysis. Apart from exporting cocoa and apart from gold and the rest of them, there is a financial return if we should sink good money into the area of sports. That is what will also inform government to realize there is another revenue stream which is sports,” he explained.

Atta Akyea also argued that a well-researched approach could transform the sports sector into a major driver of economic growth.

“If anything matters to us as a nation, and we want to invest properly in it, let’s cost it and see the return on the investment. Probably, it will be a paradigm shift for this nation,” he added.

The MP’s call comes amidst growing calls on President-elect, John Mahama to increase funding for sports as part of his national development agenda.