Guarding the Game: Ghana Convenes National Forum on Trafficking in Sports to Strengthen Safe Pathways for Youth

Efforts to address trafficking and exploitation in Ghana’s sports sector gained momentum through a National Forum on Trafficking in Sports convened by the Government of Ghana, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on 16 April 2026 under the theme “Play It Safe: Choose the Right Path in Sports.”

Bringing together government institutions, law enforcement agencies, sports authorities, development partners, IOM Goodwill Ambassadors and youth representatives, the forum aimed to strengthen coordinated responses to trafficking risks in the sports sector and promote safe, orderly and regular migration pathways for aspiring athletes. 

“Sports must remain a pathway to opportunity and development, not a channel for exploitation”, said Hon. Kofi Iddie Adams, Minister for Sports and Recreation. “Today is a clear call to action for all of us- government, sports institutions, and partners- to strengthen regulation, promote transparency, and ensure that young Ghanaians can pursue their ambitions safely and through regular pathways”. 

Human trafficking and exploitation remain significant global concerns, with increasing implications for the sports sector. In Ghana, rising youth interest in pursuing international sports careers, combined with limited access to formal recruitment pathways, has heightened vulnerability. A forthcoming study by IOM and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation found that over 95 per cent of young Ghanaians expressed interest in pursuing sports careers abroad, while more than 30 per cent reported exposure to deceptive offers that led to exploitative situations.

The Forum opened discussions on emerging trends at the intersection between trafficking and sports, including the role of informal agents, unlicensed academies, and cyber-enabled recruitment scams linked to major global sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup. Participants highlighted how these evolving risks, combined with increased mobility and demand for opportunities, are creating new pathways for exploitation.

As part of the initiative, a dedicated media training held ahead of the forum strengthened the capacity of sports journalists to report accurately, ethically and responsibly on trafficking in sports. The training emphasized survivor-centered reporting and the media’s role in raising awareness and preventing exploitation.

In her remarks, Fatou Diallo Ndiaye, IOM Chief of Mission for Ghana highlighted the importance of strengthening trust in migration governance while expanding safe pathways for youth.

“IOM is committed to protecting young people by expanding access to safe and regular migration pathways and addressing trafficking risks within emerging sectors such as sports”, she said. “By strengthening evidence, building institutional capacity, and supporting coordinated responses, we are helping ensure that young people can pursue opportunities safely and with dignity.”

As global sporting events approach, including the FIFA World Cup 2026, embassies of the host nations in Ghana present at the forum also called for increased vigilance and proactive measures to address emerging risks, particularly cyber-enabled scams targeting aspiring athletes.

The forum concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen collaboration, translate dialogue into action, and reinforce national systems to prevent trafficking in sports, ensuring that the pursuit of opportunity does not come at the cost of dignity, safety, or human rights.

The National Forum on Human Trafficking in Sports was supported through the IOM Development Fund project, “Addressing Human Trafficking in Sports in Ghana”.