Essien describes Mansour Group’s Right to Dream Ghana project as a ‘gift to the youth’

Michael Essien has praised the Mansour Group’s plan to build a new Right to Dream (RTD) Academy near Accra, describing it as a transformative moment for youth development in Ghana.

The project—set to break ground in early 2026—will replace RTD’s Old Akrade base with a state-of-the-art campus that combines elite football coaching with rigorous academics.

Government has welcomed the investment, calling it a vote of confidence in Ghana’s young people and a boost to the country’s reputation as a talent hub.

RTD says all student scholarships will continue at a temporary Accra-area site during construction, with the new academy targeted to open as early as 2027.

“As a kid I never had the opportunities Right to Dream is offering now. I had to find my own way, and it wasn’t easy. What Right to Dream is doing is a gift to the youth and future of Ghana, especially because academic education is such a big part of the program alongside the football,” said Essien, the former Black Stars midfielder who now coaches at FC Nordsjaelland—RTD’s partner club in Denmark.

The Mansour Group, which owns Right to Dream, has expanded the academy network since acquiring it in 2021 through Man Capital LLP.

More than US$180m has been invested across the global RTD system, including around €15m in Ghana to date, and brand-new academies have opened in Cairo (2023) and San Diego (2025).

The Accra-area project will serve nearly 100 student-athletes from Ghana and the wider region with upgraded classrooms, pitches, dormitories and performance facilities, while RTD’s 127 Ghana-based employees will be retained throughout the transition.

“And since the Mansour family took over the pledges and commitment to the students have only expanded. The new academy plans and investment in Ghana is a massive statement and will improve Right to Dream’s Ghanaian program even further in the years to come,” Essien added.

Founded in 1999, RTD’s model pairs education with football to give young people two pathways: professional sport or top-tier academics.

Alumni have progressed to national teams, earned professional deals in Europe, North America and Africa, and secured scholarships at leading schools in the United States.

That pipeline has been strengthened by Nordsjaelland, where RTD graduates play first-team minutes in a competitive European league under coaches—like Essien—who understand the academy’s culture.

“I work with the young people and players coming through the academy on and off the pitch every day. It gives me great joy to help them develop further and assist them in reaching the next steps of their future with endless potential,” Essien said.

I see many of them grow every day in Denmark, pushed by their teammates from other parts of RTD’s global community, and I know they all have the opportunity, talent, and dream to make their families and Ghana proud.”

Officials say the temporary Accra facility will ensure continuity of training, schooling and welfare programmes until the new campus opens.

The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has framed the plan as a catalyst for public-private partnerships that marry performance with education, noting that Ghana’s long-term football success depends on structured youth pathways as much as on senior results.

The Mansour Group’s wider footprint—through businesses such as Mantrac (Caterpillar) and Mansour Autos—adds scale to the commitment, with an estimated US$600m invested in Ghana over the past decade and hundreds of young engineers trained locally.

RTD’s expansion also reflects rising outcomes. The San Diego academy has been cited by industry leaders as among the best in North America, while the Cairo campus has increased opportunities for North African talent.

With Ghana’s new site next in line, Right to Dream is positioning its birthplace at the centre of a three-continent network of four academies and three professional clubs.

For Essien, the stakes are personal. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder came through Ghana’s local system without the structure RTD now offers.

His view is that the new campus will multiply chances for the next generation to combine “books and boots” and keep doors open—whether to a professional debut or a university scholarship.

In practical terms, the build is planned to start in 2026, all current scholarships will be honoured, and staff will remain employed during the move. In strategic terms, the message is clear: Ghana’s original RTD chapter is evolving into a larger, better-equipped home designed to produce footballers, scholars and leaders. As Essien put it, the project is “a gift”—and one intended to keep giving for years to come.

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