Eric Edem Agbana, Member of Parliament for Ketu North, has urged the Government to prioritise investment in sports infrastructure rather than using public funds to sponsor supporters to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He said the cost of transporting fans to the tournament would place a significant financial burden on the State while benefiting only a limited number of people.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Mr Agbana estimated that it could cost the Government at least 9,000 dollars to sponsor a single supporter for just the group stage of the competition.
He suggested that such resources could be more productively invested in grassroots sports development and the construction of community sports facilities across the country.
“I do not think that the Government should use public funds to take supporters to the World Cup. It will cost the Government, on average, about 9,000 dollars per supporter just for the group stage. This includes flight, ticket, accommodation and a small feeding allowance,” he said.
Mr Agbana said if the Government decided to sponsor 2,000 supporters, the total expenditure could reach about 18 million dollars.
“Now spread the 2,000 across 276 constituencies, what it means is that each constituency will have less than 10 people.
“If you ask me to bring even 10 people from Ketu North to go to the World Cup and you will spend close to 90,000 dollars, I will tell you that please use that to construct an AstroTurf or a sports complex for me in Ketu North,” he added.
Mr Agbana, however, noted that he would have no objection if the initiative were funded by private sector partners instead of the State.
