Former National Lottery Authority (NLA) Director-General and Akuapem North Member of Parliament Samuel Kwabena Awuku, widely known as Sammi Awuku, and KGL Group Executive Chairman Alex Apau Dadey are among the special guests expected at the 55th anniversary celebrations of the Loterie Nationale de Côte d’Ivoire (LONACI) in Abidjan on Wednesday, April 30.
The high-profile event is scheduled to take place at the Sofitel Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan and is expected to draw directors-general of national lottery bodies from across the continent, representatives of the World Lottery Association, and senior industry executives involved in revenue mobilisation and gaming policy across Africa.
The occasion marks a significant institutional milestone for LONACI, which was established in March 1970 and has grown into one of West Africa’s most prominent lottery bodies. Under the leadership of Director-General Dramane Coulibaly, who also serves as President of the African Lotteries Association, the institution has undergone substantial commercial expansion. Revenue grew from 39 billion CFA francs in 2012 to more than 657 billion CFA francs in 2025, with projections for the current year set at approximately 798 billion CFA francs.
Awuku’s attendance reflects his continued standing within Africa’s lottery sector. During his tenure at the NLA, he was credited with driving digital transformation and improving transparency and revenue performance within Ghana’s lottery industry. He also served as immediate past Vice President for the Anglophone Division of the African Lotteries Association and has spoken at World Lottery Association conferences on policy and innovation. His leadership at the NLA earned him back-to-back Public Sector Chief Executive Officer of the Year recognition in 2022 and 2023.
For the KGL Group, the Abidjan event represents an opportunity to deepen a partnership already well established in Côte d’Ivoire. KGL Technology operates the 590 Mobile national lottery franchise in the country in collaboration with LONACI and has, according to the company, become the leading digital lottery operator in the Ivorian market.
The relationship between the three institutions, NLA, LONACI, and KGL Group, stretches back several years. In July 2024, Coulibaly visited KGL’s headquarters in Accra alongside Awuku, where discussions focused on technology transfer, market expansion, and regulatory collaboration.
The anniversary programme is expected to include a formal opening ceremony, reflections on LONACI’s five-decade institutional journey, and high-level discussions on the future of lottery operations in a rapidly digitalising global environment.
