National Sports Authority, Ghana Propelling Ghana to high international recognition Mission statement The National Sports Authority exists to develop, organise promote and manage competitive and social sports with the view to promoting health, fitness, recreation, national cohesion and professionalism that ensures sustainable wealth creation, vigorous infrastructure development and proactive management which leads to sports excellence and international recognition. We foster teamwork and pursue the highest standard of excellence, honesty, fairplay, innovation and productivity in our service delivery. Our human resources, being our most treasured assets, operates in a congenial working environment and are continually developed and motivated to instil loyalty, devotion and commitment to win the respect of our stakeholders. Objectives 1. To promote and encourage the organisation and development of, and mass participation in, amateur and professional sports in Ghana 2. To co-ordinate and integrate all efforts to raise the standards of performance in amateur and professional sports throughout Ghana Functions of NSA 1. Organise and assist the participation of Ghanaian sportsmen and sportswomen in amateur and professional sports at district, regional, national and international levels 2. Be responsible for taking insurance cover for all sportsmen, sportswomen and sports officials chosen to represent Ghana 3. Provide financial assistance to any team or person for the purpose of enabling that team or person to represent Ghana in international competitions 4. Encourage Ghanaians to participate in sporting activities in or outside Ghana 5. Provide sports instructors to any person, team or organisation 6. Provide and maintain sports centres and facilities for use by all sportsmen and sportswomen 7. Maintain all playing fields and stadia provided by the body Honourable Minister Clement Kofi Humado, Minister of Youth and Sport known as the National Playing Fields Board 8. Promote the establishment of both amateur and professional Contact associations of sports at districts, regional and national levels Mr Wolanyo Agra 9. Provide financial assistance to all such sporting associations as Director General appear to the National Council to be deserving of such National Sports Authority assistance P.O.Box 1272 10. Provide the Regional Sports Councils with such financial and other assistance to encourage and develop sports effectively in Accra Sports Stadium their respective regions Osu-Accra 11. Undertake and encourage research in to all sports relating matters Tel: +233 302 66 2281 12. Provide funding for the holding of special sports festivals [email protected] Let’s Commemorate Let’s live Let’s grow Let’s unite Ghana KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth: 1957 Population: 24,392,000 (2010) GDP p.c. growth: 2.4% p.a. 1990–2010 UN HDI 2011: world ranking 135 Official language: English Time: GMT Currency: cedi (¢) Geography Area: 238,537 sq km Coastline: 539km Capital: Accra The Republic of Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, is a West African country lying on the Gulf of Guinea. It is surrounded (clockwise, from the west) by Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo. Ghana has ten regions: Greater Accra, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta and Western. After Greater Accra, Ashanti is the most populated region; Upper West, the least. Topography: The Black Volta, Red Volta and White Volta rivers merge into one river Volta, which has been dammed at Akosombo to form Lake Volta (approximately 8,482 sq km). There are hills to the north (averaging 500m), but the country is generally flat. The central forest area is broken up into ridges and valleys. There are lagoons on the coast, and many sandy beaches with coconut trees. Climate: Tropical; warm and fairly dry in northern areas, hot and Environment: The most significant environmental issues are humid on the coastal belt. Temperatures usually range between deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion; drought in the north; 21°C and 32°C. Annual rainfall varies from 700mm to 2,150mm. poaching and habitat destruction threatening wildlife populations; In 2007, large parts of West Africa were the subject of severe and water pollution and inadequate supplies of drinking water. flooding. Ghana was the worst hit with more than 300,000 of its Vegetation: Grass occurs on much of the central plain, dense people made homeless. rainforest in the south and west; woodland and dry savannah to the north. Forest covers 22% of the land area, having declined at 2.0% p.a. 1990–2010. Arable land comprises 19% and permanent Did you know… cropland 11% of the total land area. Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Wildlife: Ghana is rich in animal life and had in 2003 protected Nations, delivered the 3rd Annual Commonwealth Lecture, areas comprising 5.6% of the total land area. The Mole National on ‘Africa Wants to Trade its Way out of Poverty’, in 2000. Park comprises some 736 sq km in the western part of the northern region of Damonoyo and has many species including Four Ghanaians have been regional winners in the elephants, hippos, eagles, kites and hornbills. The Digya National Commonwealth Writers’ Prize: Ama Ata Aidoo (1992), Park on the shores of Lake Volta has hippos, water buck, crocodiles Lawrence Darmani (1992), Lucy Safo (1994) and Benjamin and manatees. There are 222 species of mammals, 14 of which are Kwakye (1999 and 2006). endangered, and 206 species of birds, eight endangered. Abédi Pelé, born in Accra, Ghana, in 1964, was voted Main towns: Accra (capital, pop. 2.45m in 2010), Kumasi African Footballer of the Year in 1991, 1992 and 1993. (Ashanti, 1.93m), Tamale (Northern, 466,700), Ashiaman (Greater Accra, 289,100), Takoradi (Western, 273,900), Cape Coast The Commonwealth Yearbook 2012 279 Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, Ghana Employment opportunities for Ghana The Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare exists to promote sustainable employment opportunities, management and vocational skills development, training and re-training, harmonious industrial relations, safe and group formation and social integration of vulnerable, excluded and the disadvantaged for the development and growth of the economy. MANDATE The Ministry’s mandate is to facilitate the development of human resources, create an environment conducive to investment promotion, harmonious labour relations as well as a safe and healthy working environment. The Ministry is also responsible for the social integration of people with disabilities (PWDs), the vulnerable, the extremely poor and excluded into the mainstream of society to enable them to contribute towards national development and growth. VISION The vision of the Ministry is to become a well resourced, efficient as well as effective Ministry committed to human resources development, creating a sustainable environment for gainful employment and the social well being of all Ghanaians. OBJECTIVES The key objectives of the Ministry are: To promote and sustain an enabling environment for accelerated growth and employment. To improve upon capacity development, skills training and retraining. To integrate the vulnerable, excluded, persons with disability and the disadvantaged into the mainstream of development. To increase access of young persons to skills development and empower them for productive employment. To promote youth employment for sustained growth. A feasibility study has been completed on the viability of training the youth in bamboo/rattan craft at Anyinam, Offinso, Akrokerri, Wassa To facilitate the provision of games recreational Saa and Assin Jakai facilities in deprived communities. FUNCTIONS Vocational Skills Training and Development Labour Market Relations Co-operative Development Occupational Safety and Health Productivity Improvement Social Welfare and NGOregistration and co- ordination Social Welfare, Ghana The new Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Moses Asaga, aims to create further employment opportunities for the people of Ghana. The Honourable Minister Mr Moses Asaga DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES ACHIEVEMENTS Departments Recognising the high youth unemployment problem, the Labour Department Ministry is expanding all its vocational/technical and skills Department of Social Welfare training institutions to maximise their intake. Arrangements Department of Co-operatives have been made to open all social welfare training Department of Factories (DFI) institutions as well as rehabilitation centres for the disabled to the public. Agencies Management Development and Productivity Institute The vocational training curricula have been reviewed to (MDPI) increase their relevance to the current labour market. National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) Entrepreneurship and co-operative programmes have Integrated Community Centres for Employment Skills been added, and graduates are exposed to micro- (ICCES) financing to encourage youth to enter into self- Opportunity Industrialization Centres Ghana (OICG) employment. Ghana Co-operative College To ensure quality standards and relevance in skills COMMISSIONS, COUNCILS AND training, a collaborative committee made up of NVTI, COMMITTEE ICCES, OIC and Ghana National Association of Private Commissions Vocational and Technical Institutions (GNAVTI) has been established to co-ordinate the training programmes. National Fair Wages and Salaries Commission Labour Commission The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Councils Employment and Social Welfare, and