The Neglected Sports Sector

BY AISHA SHUAIBU

“Sports has the power to change the world. It has the power inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sports can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all kinds of discrimination.” – (Nelson Mandela, 2000)

One of the many natural gems Nigeria possesses is the gift of athleticism among its people. The average Nigerian has at least one God-giving ability of strength, speed, agility or physical build. This has resulted in Nigerian athletes dominating world sports for decades. From basketball legend Hakeem Olajuwon and football legend Jay-Jay Okocha to Olympic track star Blessing Okagbare and UFC champion Kamaru Usman, Nigerians are renowned for breaking records in the world of sports.

However, a major drawback is that most of these Nigerian stars were not developed on home soil. It is of rarity to find a Nigerian success story today who emerged straight from the country, fully moulded into a competitively strong athlete, ready to take the international stage. This is as a result of many existing factors affecting the ecosystem of the Nigerian sports industry. Yet, sports remain one of the most lucrative industries as well as a strong driver of economic growth, unity, development and positive impact.

With the conclusion of the primaries by the political parties, the candidates must begin to put in place ideas and policies for the rehabilitation of the sports industry as a tool for developing our country and creating a sustainable future for young people. We must open our eyes to the realisation that the western world will continue to tap into our running waters, fishing out money makers till we are ready to develop and preserve our own talent. This blatant neglect is not encouraging particularly to people who aspire for careers in sports.

Meanwhile, the industry also requires administrators, officials, lawyers, doctors, journalists, merchandisers, marketers, architects, engineers, investors, sponsors and enthusiasts. These categories of stakeholders come together to form a systematic industry where all parties are important to its functionality. Sports is big business and our country must tap into that. For instance, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League generated 2.8 billion euros in its 2020/21 season, the National basketball Association (NBA) earn $8 billion in revenue annually while the National Football League (NFL) is worth about $16 billion. These are mostly generated through television broadcasting, online app subscriptions, ticketing, brand endorsements and sponsorships, among several other means.

The business of sports is heavily infused with entertainment, tourism and innovation, all of which keep to global trends, technological advancements and cultural movements. The construction of state of the art sports facilities alone could create a ripple effect of more participation in sporting activities. For Nigeria specifically, sports is a universal mother-tongue impacting all levels from the elite down to the grassroots communities. Football being the most populous sport in the country is in the hearts of street kids who convert any open sand field to a pitch and play till sundown. But how do we tap into that interest?

As a predominantly youth country, we cannot ignore the potential of sports as a means to poverty alleviation and education. Children who grow up illiterate, without access to basic needs and safety are at the mercy of what their environment turns them into. With the rise of insecurity across the country, it is time to examine the generation we are breeding most of who live in extreme poverty. Yet, as a former United Nations Secretary General, the late Kofi Annan, once quipped, “extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere.”

In the past few weeks as I travel within the continent, I have observed how in countries like Senegal and Rwanda sports development is embedded in the daily lives of their people by creating an enabling environment. We should emulate those countries. That of course requires that those in charge of sports management in Nigeria be more forward looking. The NBA in collaboration with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) launched the Basketball Africa League in 2019, aimed at promoting the game of basketball on the continent, while also prioritising sports infrastructure, partnerships and the interconnectivity of African countries.

The BAL conducted their 2022 season in Dakar, Cairo and Kigali, welcoming stakeholders in sports from all over the world. As the season concluded in Kigali, I observed our dinner table on my last night there and noticed that we were a combination of about 12 countries in one seating. That was profound. Sports brought strangers of different creeds and beliefs to one place and made us feel like one family as we shared the commonality of our passion for the games and exchanged ideas that could drive impact in our various countries.

Overall, I hope and pray that our next administration prioritizes development through sports. The Nigerian youth deserve a way out of the mess we have found ourselves in and sports has the power to enable the change we so desperately need. Through public private partnerships and collaborative effort, we can empower Nigerian youth through sports, assuring their future and ensuring the prosperity of our country.

AISHA SHUAIBU A business consultant with a decade of experience in brand and strategic management, Ms Aisha Shuaibu is Managing Director of Waffle Way in Abuja, and President of SWA Sports, an initiative that is promoting local talents in kickboxing, wrestling, and Taekwondo. Ms Shuaibu obtained her B Sc in Business Studies from the University of Bedfordshire, Luton in the United Kingdom and her Masters in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey.