The licensing agreement between the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) and gaming company KGL will remain in place despite recent public criticism, according to Dr Razak Kojo Opoku, former Head of PR at the NLA.

Dr Opoku said the deal, which has faced scrutiny from the Fourth Estate and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), will continue with planned reviews and renegotiations in the interests of both the state and KGL.

Speaking in a statement, Dr. Opoku praised the Mahama government for maintaining a stable environment for the private sector and indigenous enterprises, saying, “We seriously need to commend the efforts of Mahama’s government for protecting as well as creating an enabling environment for private sector and indigenous entrepreneurs to grow as enshrined in Article 36 (Economic Objectives) of the 1992 Constitution.”

He explained that the review process being undertaken by the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice was already scheduled as part of the licensing agreement, which mandates a review every three years. Both the NLA and KGL agreed to bring forward the 2026 review to allow sufficient time for negotiations ahead of 2027 implementation.

“The Fourth Estate and MFWA had suggested termination or cancellation of the NLA-KGL contract. But in the wisdom of Mahama’s government, the NLA-KGL deal shall stay forever with reviews and renegotiations in the interests of the State and KGL,” he added.

Dr. Opoku noted that KGL, as a corporate entity, fully supports the review process and sees it as a way to address public criticism while affirming the company’s credibility.

He also criticised the media organisations for attempting to claim credit for the review, insisting that the initiative was already part of NLA’s mandate.