Mahama Government Rejects Termination Calls, Affirms NLA–KGL Contract with Strategic Reviews — Razak Kojo Opoku (PhD)

The government of President John Dramani Mahama has rejected calls for the cancellation, termination, or abrogation of the National Lottery Authority (NLA)–KGL licensing agreement, opting instead to maintain the contract with provisions for review and renegotiation in the interest of the State and all parties involved.

This position follows sustained public criticism of the NLA–KGL deal by investigative media group The Fourth Estate and its parent organisation, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which had described the agreement as “terrible” and petitioned the government to annul it.

According to a statement issued by Razak Kojo Opoku (PhD), a former Head of Public Relations at the NLA, the Mahama administration, after assessing the facts and data surrounding the agreement, determined that the deal should remain in force, subject to periodic reviews and renegotiations rather than outright termination.

“The wisdom of Mahama’s government has prevailed. The NLA–KGL deal shall stay, with reviews and renegotiations undertaken in the best interests of the State—particularly the NLA and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA)—as well as KGL,” the statement said.

Dr Opoku commended the government for what he described as a commitment to protecting and promoting private sector participation and indigenous entrepreneurship, noting that this approach aligns with Article 36 of the 1992 Constitution, which outlines Ghana’s economic objectives.

He further stated that recent claims by The Fourth Estate and MFWA to have influenced the ongoing review process are inaccurate. According to him, the current NLA Board had already initiated correspondence with the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice for an assessment of the KGL licensing agreement as part of its statutory mandate, prior to any media petition to the Office of the President.

The statement also clarified that the licensing agreement itself provides for mandatory reviews every three years, with negotiations expected to commence six months into the subsequent year. In this regard, both NLA and KGL reportedly agreed to bring forward the review exercise to early 2026 to allow adequate time for negotiations ahead of the next implementation phase in 2027.

“KGL, as a responsible corporate entity, fully supports the review process being undertaken by the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice. The process will bring closure to the persistent public attacks on the NLA–KGL agreement,” the statement noted.

Emphasising confidence in the outcome of the review, Dr Opoku said KGL has no reason to fear scrutiny and has therefore chosen not to engage in what he described as “media noise,” insisting that the current review does not amount to cancellation or termination of the contract.

The statement concluded by asserting that KGL remains a strong global brand capable of withstanding criticism and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to regulatory oversight and lawful renegotiation processes.