BOARD members of the African Lotteries Association (ALA) from Morocco, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Senegal have paid a working visit to Ghana as part of a Board Meeting aimed at reviewing activities for 2025 and outlining plans for 2026.
The meeting, hosted in Accra, brought together heads of lottery institutions across Africa to assess operational performance, consider applications from prospective members, and strengthen collaboration among existing member organisations.
The Director General of Ghana’s National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mr Mohammed Abdul-Salam, said the gathering underscored the importance of a unified platform for African lotteries to exchange experiences, share best practices, and enhance governance standards across the continent.
“As governing bodies of lotteries across Africa, the need for a common platform where we can share best practices and learn governance protocols is very significant. That is the reason the African Lotteries Association exists,” he said.
Mr Abdul-Salam noted that the Director General of LONACI, the Ivorian National Lottery, currently serves as President of the Association, while he himself is one of its Vice Chairs, and explained that the Accra meeting focused on evaluating programmes implemented in 2025 and preparing a roadmap for activities in 2026.
The Board also examined applications from new institutions seeking membership of the Association. According to him, the ALA maintains strong links with international lottery bodies, including the European Lotteries and the World Lottery Association.
Members at the meeting discussed upcoming events on the calendars of these global organisations and took decisions on key issues affecting the lottery and gaming sector in Africa.
Mr Abdul-Salam described the deliberations as far-reaching, noting that the outcomes would help shape the direction of lottery governance on the continent in the coming year.
Touching on expectations for 2026, he disclosed that Ghana’s National Lottery Authority was preparing major reforms to improve governance and expand its product offerings.
He said the reforms would introduce new products while strengthening regulatory systems to meet the evolving needs of the gaming public.
“The year promises to be exciting,” he said.
He also highlighted Ghana’s long history in lottery operations, dating back to 1960, and the role the country continues to play in sharing expertise with other African nations, adding that Ghana’s popular 590 lottery product has gained continental recognition, with several countries adopting similar models.
However, Mr Abdul-Salam acknowledged that the gaming landscape has evolved, with sports betting and horse racing becoming increasingly prominent across Africa.
He explained that Ghana operates a dual regulatory system, with the Gaming Commission overseeing gaming activities and the NLA regulating lotteries, while some other African countries use a single authority to manage both areas.
Despite these differences, he stressed that Ghana’s lottery experience remains a strong reference point across the continent.
On the achievements of the African Lotteries Association in 2025, Mr Abdul-Salam cited capacity-building initiatives as a major highlight.
He said training programmes in cyber security and blockchain administration were organised in Ivory Coast and Morocco to equip members with skills to address emerging industry challenges.
Looking ahead, he said the Association plans to establish committees to further explore training opportunities in governance, operations, and other critical areas to strengthen member institutions in 2026.
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