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A fresh public debate has erupted over the financial performance and value of the National Lottery Authority’s (NLA) partnership with private lottery operator KGL, following sharp exchanges between policy commentators and political actors over reported revenue figures.
In a social media post circulated on Tuesday, policy analyst and governance commentator Dr Razak Kojo Opoku dismissed recent criticisms of the NLA–KGL arrangement, describing them as “bitterness” driven by inconsistent figures presented by critics.
His comments were directed at The Fourth Estate, an investigative journalism outlet, and its co-founder Sulemana Braimah, who have previously questioned the value-for-money aspects of the lottery deal.
Dr Razak Kojo Opoku pointed to what he described as contradictions in the revenue numbers cited by critics.
According to him, figures quoted by critics placed NLA’s earnings from KGL at GHC 170 million in September 2025, but later suggested GHC 160 million by January 2026.
“How did GHC 170 million they quoted in September 2025 become GHC 160 million in January 2026?” he asked, casting doubt on the credibility of the criticism.
Providing what he said were official figures for context, Dr Razak Kojo Opoku stated that the NLA earned GHC 176 million from KGL in 2025 alone.
He further asserted that KGL paid more than GHC 300 million to both the NLA and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in 2025, indicating that the state derived substantial fiscal benefits from the partnership.
He added that between 2024 and 2025, the NLA alone received more than GHC 333 million from KGL, a figure he says contradicts claims that the deal shortchanges the state.
The renewed controversy follows earlier commentary by Mr Braimah and The Fourth Estate, which questioned the rationale behind granting a private company significant control in the lottery sector.
In a post dated September 19, 2025, Mr Braimah asked: “How do you justify giving away a state business that generates GHC 3 billion to a private company in exchange for GHC 170 million?”
Similarly, The Fourth Estate reported on a meeting between an interministerial committee and stakeholders reviewing what it described as a “terrible NLA–KGL deal,” warning that it would be “a disaster if the NLA doesn’t earn more from its lottery business.”
The outlet said it was waiting to see whether the Authority would continue to earn GHC 160 million or more from the arrangement.
At the heart of the debate is a broader national conversation about public–private partnerships, transparency, and whether the state is extracting optimal value from strategic national assets.
Critics argue that the lottery business has historically generated billions of cedis in gross sales and that the state’s net returns under the current structure appear modest by comparison.
Defenders of the deal, however, counter that headline turnover figures should not be confused with net revenue, costs, or tax contributions.
Dr Opoku’s intervention adds to a growing chorus of voices insisting that discussions around the NLA–KGL deal must be grounded in accurate, consistent, and comprehensive financial data, rather than selective figures that may mislead the public.
As the debate continues, calls are mounting for greater disclosure of audited figures and contractual details to enable an informed public assessment of whether the NLA–KGL partnership truly serves Ghana’s economic interests.
