HIFL AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

 Higher Institutions Football League’s platform provides investment opportunity with potential for immense social impact, writesOlufunmilayo Onajide

According to a 2014 study, Nigeria shows unparalleled interest and participation in football. A poll by Repucom published by Bloomberg revealed that 83% of Nigerians have an interest in football while about 65% of them play the game.  Presumably, the majority of this number are youth many of whom would be in secondary schools or tertiary institutions. We also know that there are at least 2.1 million students in tertiary education. Only a tiny fraction goes overseas for their higher education, leaving a large number of young Nigerians who constitute a rich talent pool.

Speaking to the aforementioned poll, it is worthy of note that compared to football strongholds like Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain and Argentina, Nigeria fares well.  Connecting the love for football, a teeming youth population and a gap in structured collegiate football in Nigeria, lies an investment opportunity with the potential for immense social impact which is what the Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) platform provides.

HiFL is an initiative of PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited and was established in collaboration with the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA). HiFL is endorsed by the Nigeria University Commission (NUC), the Committee of Vice Chancellors (CVC), and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). Starting in 2018, the league has grown to become a major part of the school calendar in Nigerian universities with a nine-month long season while some of the matches are televised live by SuperSport. HiFL is the largest collegiate football platform in Nigeria and Africa by the sheer number of students involved. Every year, more than 50 universities and colleges of higher education in 20 locations and over 60 live matches are played, which attract crowds of some 5,000 people from schools, the community and beyond.

HiFL has created opportunities for many local and multinational brands to enjoy optimal visibility to a targeted audience.  Our past and present sponsors include many household names in the FMCG space, a major investment bank and even local tax authorities, all eager to exploit accessibility to large crowds who appear in person and also through broadcast and social media. Each sponsor has found expression in diverse ways – from raising visibility to promoting sales or eliciting appreciation to social impact and corporate social responsibility.

With dwindling budgets experiences across marketing, PR, sponsorship or CSR, many brands seek robust platforms or initiatives that tick all the boxes, with the additional benefit of excellent management and sustainability. Over the last five years, HiFL has proven itself an exemplar in this regard, being a private sector-led and funded league. HiFL’s exclusive 10-year deal with NUGA ensures it can establish firm roots and achieve its medium to long-term objectives.

The success of this collaboration between HiFL and these organizations is worthy of comment because it is not only symbiotic but critical to the success of HiFL and its future. Whilst PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited brings to bear the power of its organisational capacity to the complex logistics in several locations across the country for the duration of the season, NUGA, the NUC and the administrative arms of sports management in different higher institutions move to the beat to a very well-oiled playbook. It is a choreographed relationship that will stand the test of time. It is the bedrock on which HiFL thrives and all participating sponsors have benefited within the context of their peculiar expectations which have not only been met but exceeded.

Our success with sponsors has opened our eyes to the commercial potential of HiFL and we have identified four strong revenue streams. HiFL is beyond what seems at a first glance, a League management company. The organisation is consistently curating and managing talent within the collegiate community but our trajectory is also moving quite rapidly into merchandising, talent management, content aggregation, E-Sport and Media.

All this and more were explained at the recently concluded Investor Forum which took place in Lagos. The Investor call was an opportunity for those who understand the commercial opportunities inherent in collegiate privately funded sports and the prospect of profitable ancillary business that naturally arises from it. The investor call has elicited a lot of interest because of the strong commercial potential given our demonstrable track record and our first mover advantage.

As HiFL enters its fifth active season, with stable equity investment, we will chart a well thought out path for sustained and productive youth engagement, while providing diverse brand connections and penetration opportunities. With an injection of equity, we will develop the opportunities that we have identified, and render stellar returns to our investors.

 Dr Kachi Onubogu, the Chairman of PACE said recently: “While we have garnered a lot of knowledge and expertise in our journey over the last five years, to a large extent, HiFL is now positioned to change the face and style of football management in Nigeria and with that comes great opportunities for progressive integration and good returns”.

It is without a doubt, a win-win all around: for the youth of Nigeria, for the nurturing of talent to greatness, and brands and investors. Ultimately, Nigeria wins.

Onajide is a Director at PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited