IT’S NOT JUST FOOTBALL, IT’S DEVELOPMENT

 Joshua J. Omojuwa canvasses systems that work

I think it was Myles Munroe who once said, “When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.” The cheering news of the promotion of Sporting Lagos, a new football club set up by young Nigerians, to the Nigerian Premier League gave me pause for thought. Against all odds, the club had caused the nation to take note of them by the quality of football they played, which has now taken them from a lower league to the top of the totem pole of local football in Nigeria. In quietly celebrating their success, I thought of the ramifications of the promotion and the effect it could have on the nation’s development.

In 2019, tourists made 1.5 million visits to stadiums in the UK and spent about ₦1.4 trillion during those visits.  The Premier League alone contributes around ₦8 trillion annually to the UK economy. The conversion of these figures to naira is deliberate because I want them to be appreciated for their size relative to our own economy. If it wasn’t already clear, let me state for the record that this piece is not just about football; it is about development.

Below the English Premier League are others: the Championship, League One, League 2, the National League, and several other regional leagues. For this article, let’s focus on the top four leagues. Every matchday during the season there are 10 matches in the Premier League, 36 in the Championship, League One and 2 combined. Altogether, every match day, there are 46 elite football games in the English Football League. These are games involving 92 clubs with passionate fans who commute to the stadiums for the games. They pay to get into the stadiums and when they get in, they buy drinks and food before, during and after the games. They also purchase club paraphernalia and merchandise. This extends globally via merchandising and TV rights.

After the matches, the majority of spectators will migrate to pubs where they will drink to exult and celebrate their wins, bemoan their losses or rue a draw.  Those who travelled for the matches might require hotel accommodation. These activities are not just football numbers; they are economic numbers. Just think about the cascading effects on the UK economy.

To varying degrees the same can be said for leagues in other parts of the world but also in Africa where Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and other such countries have demonstrated that they have leaders and football administrators who understand that football, like every sport, is an economic activity. Since I was born, and now I am getting old (to echo a popular Christian chorus), I have never known Nigeria to treat football and its potential for the economy, seriously. There has never really been a coherent football development plan with the economy in mind. Scratch that, there has never even been a coherent football development plan with football in mind.

Yes, we have won a few trophies. However, our victories are mostly because of the interest of our people in the game and the fact our teams are picked from a vast pool of talent. If Nigeria cared for football for football’s sake, we’d be competing to win the World Cup and rail against losing to Argentina at just about every World Cup. If we were serious about developing football and by extension, our economy, there is a lot we could have done and can still do. It is not rocket science. Nollywood did it. Afrobeats is doing it. Can our football do it? Can we start to build the local environment for football to thrive as a business to the point where people around the world are excited to partake in the Nigerian experience? It is not impossible.

The UK example I cited above is no coincidence. It is a result of careful planning and methodical execution. That Nigeria has won just three African Nations Cup titles is not a reflection of our talents; it is a reflection of our failings. If it were down to talent alone, we would have won at least 10 of them. The reason we perpetually win bronze at that tournament reflects our talents. It says to us, talent matters. But it also says, talent alone is not enough. Morocco is now saying to us, organisation and planning can elevate talent to unprecedented heights.

As stated earlier, this piece is not about football or about trophies. It is about the economic rewards of organisation and planning. For every level of a thriving national football league, apart from the obvious – players, footballers, coaches and referees – there are thousands of others who are involved in every facet of football administration and business who stand to benefit from a well-run league. Job creation? Just imagine the numbers of even just one well run league, before its sub-divisions. The trickle-down effect can only affect the economy positively.

When a country builds systems that work, be it football leagues or a thriving creative economy, it ends up producing a chain of industries that supply value to the target industry. Nothing is isolated in a system that works. Everything is connected. Many countries can afford to build world class stadiums to host the FIFA World Cup but do you know why only a few countries can host the mundial? It is because football is a business and only countries who have built the right environment for businesses to thrive can dare genuinely bid and win the hosting rights.

Nigeria hosted its first major FIFA tournament 24 years ago. If since then it had an effective development plan that was well executed, we would be in great stead to host the Centenary FIFA World Cup in 2030. The reason we are not in the running is because a quarter of a century on, our country’s football and its development have travelled the same path of mediocrity. That’s a tragedy. And it is not a football matter. It is the economy, it is always the economy. Never forget that.

 Omojuwa is chief strategist, Alpha Reach/author, Digital Wealth Book