Chinese Government provides $30 million grant — via ETCA — for Cape Coast Sports Stadium Construction Project

Project narrative

In August 2011, the Chinese Government and the Government of Ghana signed an exchange of notes, which officially committed $30 million of grant funding for the Cape Coast Sports Stadium Construction Project. The grant proceeds were drawn from an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ECTA) that was signed on the same day. The purpose of the project was to construct a 15,000-seat stadium — in Cape Coast within Ghana’s Central Region — with eight runway tracks, a football field with natural turf, two basketball courts, a handball court, an outdoor tennis court, a boxing training field, a gymnasium, athlete dormitory rooms, LED electronic display system, and an audio system. China IPPR International Engineering Corporation was the contractor responsible for project design, and China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co., Ltd. was the contractor responsible for project implementation. The Ghanaian Government committed 6.69 million cedi (approximately $3.35 million) of counterpart funding for the project (in order to finance the ground preparatory works, clearance of the imported construction materials from the port, and related purchases to the project site and the provision of security at the project site). A project design contract with China IPPR International Engineering Corporation was signed in March 2012. China IPPR International Engineering Corporation then dispatched a technical team to Ghana to develop a preliminary architectural design. On December 13, 2012, Ghana’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co., Ltd signed a construction contract. The construction of the stadium was originally expected to begin in February 2013, but it ultimately did not commence until July 15, 2013. Project implementation concluded on November 14, 2015. Then, on April 22, 2016, an official handover ceremony for the stadium was held. An inauguration ceremony for the stadium was held on May 3, 2016. In September 2018, the former head of the Ghanaian National Development Planning Commission Dr. Nii Moi Thompson argued that the quality of construction for the stadium was subpar, seen as cracks and degradation in the foundations of the stadium. Thompson's perspective creates a real reason for concern around the long-term safety for anyone nearby the stadium as a result of unsatisfactory quality of construction. In addition, in March 2023 the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) decided to disconnect power supply to the stadium on account of outstanding legacy debt for the amount of GHC 513,000, suggesting improper consumption of energy. This is the second time electricity was cut off, the first occurring in 2022.