By Nana Adwoa Baafi
Nana Adwoa T. Baafi, PMP, is a communications and stakeholder engagement professional who writes on sustainability, corporate governance and development.
What do Emirates, Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), MTN Ghana and KGL Group have in common?
They all understand something Ghana has yet to fully embrace, and that is football is not merely a sport but a strategic asset.
Across the world, governments, state-owned enterprises and major corporations are investing billions in football because they recognise the game’s ability to not only develop talent, but to create economic opportunity and generate social impact.
As Ghana reflects on another World Cup campaign, perhaps it is time to ask whether football should feature more prominently in the country’s ESG conversation.
For years, discussions around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) have focused on climate action, corporate governance, renewable energy and sustainability reporting. Although these remain important priorities, the social pillar of ESG is fundamentally about people, that is, creating opportunities, developing talent, strengthening communities and increasing pathways to success.
Viewed through that lens, it becomes obvious that in Ghana, football deserves far greater attention than it currently receives. The sport reaches communities that many traditional development programmes struggle to access. It engages young people across income levels, educational backgrounds and geographic locations. It rewards discipline, teamwork, resilience and ambition. Most importantly, it provides a structured pathway through which talent can be identified, nurtured and connected to opportunity.
Additionally, in a country where youth employment remains a national challenge, football should be viewed not only as entertainment but as an investment in human capital.
Over the years, the emergence of locally developed players onto the international stage demonstrates the value of investing in football development systems. The evidence was on display against England.
Benjamin Asare, the Accra Hearts of Oak goalkeeper, entered the tournament as the only Ghana Premier League player named in Ghana’s World Cup 2026 squad. His inclusion is significant not because it makes for a compelling personal story, but because it raises an important policy question: what happens when domestic football systems create credible pathways to the highest level?
Ultimately, the answer extends far beyond sport and the story is much bigger than one player. This is because behind every footballer who reaches the national team stands an ecosystem of coaches, teachers, scouts, academy directors, club administrators, medical professionals and community leaders. Long before a player wears the Black Stars jersey, an entire network has contributed to his development – and that is where the social value is created.
Few organisations illustrate this better than Right to Dream. Founded in Ghana in 1999, the academy has become one of Africa’s most respected talent-development institutions. Its graduates have progressed to some of the world’s leading football leagues, while many have also benefited from educational and leadership opportunities. The academy’s model demonstrates the simple truth that the best football systems do not simply produce athletes; they develop capable, disciplined and globally competitive young people.
In ESG language, they develop human capital.
Football delivers social cohesion, something increasingly difficult to achieve in modern societies. During major tournaments, millions of Ghanaians rally behind a common identity. Political affiliations, ethnic differences and socioeconomic divisions temporarily recede as citizens unite behind a shared purpose.
Yet perhaps football’s most overlooked contribution is its influence.
Long before Ghana signs an investment agreement, hosts a trade mission or participates in an international summit, millions of people around the world may already know the country through football.
Inevitably, nations increasingly recognise sport as a form of soft power. It shapes perceptions, strengthens national brands and generates global visibility that would cost significantly more to achieve through conventional marketing and public relations campaigns thus explaining why football has attracted the attention of some of the world’s most high-level investors.
In the Middle East, Emirates has built long-term partnerships with some of the top football clubs like Arsenal and Real Madrid. Qatar Airways has leveraged football sponsorships to strengthen its global brand. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in football as part of a broader strategy to diversify its economy, strengthen tourism and expand international influence.
These are what we call strategic investments.
Closer to home, institutions such as GNPC, MTN Ghana and KGL Group have all invested significantly in Ghanaian football and sport. While these partnerships are often viewed primarily through the lens of sponsorship and brand visibility, they can also be understood as investments in social impact.
GNPC’s support for the Black Stars, MTN Ghana’s long-standing involvement in football development initiatives and KGL Group’s growing footprint in sports sponsorship all point to a broader reality: leading organisations increasingly recognise football as a platform for youth engagement, national pride, community development and economic activity.
Their investments suggest an understanding that football’s value extends far beyond the ninety minutes played on the pitch.
Whether made by state-owned enterprises or private-sector organisations, such investments contribute to outcomes that align closely with the social pillar of ESG. They are investments not merely in sport, but in people, communities and national development.
Football already delivers many of the outcomes policymakers, development practitioners and ESG professionals seek to achieve. It creates opportunity, develops skills, strengthens communities, promotes inclusion and fosters national identity.
In hindsight, football already delivers many of the outcomes that policymakers, development practitioners and ESG professionals seek to achieve. It creates opportunity, develops skills, strengthens communities, promotes inclusion and most importantly, fosters national identity.
Yet despite this, Ghana continues to search for ways to create opportunities for young people, strengthen social cohesion and improve its global profile.
Perhaps one of the answers has been hiding in plain sight all along.
It can be found on community pitches, in school tournaments, in local academies and every weekend in league matches across the country.
As the rest of the world increasingly treats football as a strategic asset, the question is no longer whether football contributes to national development.
The question is whether Ghana is prepared to invest in football with the same strategic intent that others already do.
