According to him, the stadium’s condition when the current administration assumed office was far worse than previously portrayed, despite earlier claims that the facility was more than 90 percent complete.

Mr. Nelson recalled that the issue had generated considerable public discussion after a government budget reportedly indicated that the stadium had reached about 90 percent completion.

The claim, he said, was challenged by the then Member of Parliament for the area, Joe Ghartey.

Mr. Nelson said subsequent inspections after the new administration took office revealed that significant work was still required to bring the facility to an acceptable standard.

“When we took office, it was clear that it was not as it was painted. There was a lot to be done, and the place was really run down,” he said.

He explained that his personal visit to the facility revealed major deficiencies, including inadequate security and lighting, while several important installations had reportedly been stolen.

“Some of the important things, even the cables and stuff like that, had been taken out by thieves,” Mr. Nelson said.

The Western Regional Minister commended the current Sports Minister for taking an interest in the project, visiting the facility and engaging the contractor to resume work.

He said the intervention had resulted in visible progress at the stadium, including work on the seating arrangements.

“It was refreshing when the new Minister took interest, actually visited there, and got the contractor to be back on its feet to really get the job going,” he said.

Mr. Nelson expressed optimism that the rehabilitation would be completed and the facility eventually put back into full use.

However, he cautioned that completing the rehabilitation would only be one part of the solution.

Mr. Nelson said the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ministry responsible for Sports must develop a clear utilisation and revenue-generation strategy for the stadium.

He noted that the absence of a major professional football club regularly using the facility could pose a challenge to its sustainability.

“The challenge, however, is that we do not have the teams that would utilise the facility. That is where the challenge really is,” he said.

He therefore called for alternative sporting and commercial activities that could generate revenue to support regular maintenance.

“Once it’s done, we should have a good plan in place for how the place is utilised, so that at least the maintenance of the place can happen. Otherwise, the facility will stand there and really begin to deteriorate,” he warned.

Mr. Nelson said part of the revenue generated from activities at the stadium could be reinvested into maintenance to preserve the quality and standard of the facility.

He urged the NSA and the Sports Ministry to consider such measures as part of the stadium’s long-term management strategy.

The Minister observed that the stadium has largely remained inactive, apart from occasional athletics-related activities, including programmes organised by the Ghana Education Service (GES).

He said keeping the facility active would be critical to protecting the investment made in its rehabilitation.

“We must begin thinking about what will happen there, how well we are going to put that facility to use so that we’ll be able to keep it active. Once it’s active, we can save it from deterioration,” he said.

Mr. Nelson also pointed to the current state of professional football in the Western Region as another challenge.

He noted that Medeama is currently the region’s major representative in the Ghana Premier League and already has access to a well-developed home venue in Tarkwa.

As a result, he said, completing the Sekondi Stadium may not necessarily persuade the club to move its home matches to Sekondi.

The decline of traditional Sekondi-based clubs, including Sekondi Hasaacas and Eleven Wise, has further reduced the number of competitive matches that could regularly be hosted at the facility.

Mr. Nelson stressed that the substantial resources invested in the rehabilitation meant the facility could not be allowed to remain unused after completion.

“With how much money has been expended, we cannot leave it sitting there idle. Something, by all means, will have to be thought through, then we can put it to use,” he said.

He expressed confidence that the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Authority would develop measures to keep the facility operational.

For Mr. Nelson, the success of the Sekondi Stadium rehabilitation should ultimately be measured not only by the completion of the physical works but by whether the facility can remain active, generate resources for its upkeep and serve the people of the Western Region sustainably.