JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
Nigerian football is in dire need of a big vision. There is a glaring lack of clarity about the direction we should take in this game that has resulted in recurring systemic dysfunctions for decades.
The government’s FIFA-backed plan to clean up our football – a move that included the president dismissing the entire board of directors of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) following the recent unprecedented failures of our national teams – presents an excellent opportunity to put things right.
However, current statements from those in authority suggest that we may be once again treading the well-worn path that has been the source of our stagnation.
National or International The football industry can be classified into two large segments, namely: national (our local leagues and cup competitions to which continental club and FIFA matches can be added) and international (the national teams).
Leading football countries invest significantly more in the former because it has a greater sociocultural impact and generates disproportionately more trade than international football.
For example, in England and Spain national football dominates. Its top leagues generate 13 times the income of its FAs, which manage the national teams and cup competitions.
What our government wants In demanding a comprehensive revamp of our football president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the main concern seemed to be how the national teams can redeem our collective pride by qualifying and excelling in international events.
To me, that position doesn’t align much with the president’s bullish plans to achieve a trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
Unlike our national competitions, which are held weekly for almost the entire year, AFCON and World Cups are seasonal events held two and four years apart respectively.
As a country, we have a very urgent need to lift 140 million people out of extreme poverty. Our priority should be to create wealth sustainably, not to seek momentary pleasures.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) aims for sports to contribute 3% of the GDP. In theory, that would be a $30 billion industry if the president met his $1 trillion GDP goal.
The NSC goal is not unrealistic, but to achieve it, the focus must be on investing in our national competitions.
the numbers In 2025, all of our national teams – men’s and women’s, senior and junior – played a combined total of around 39 competitive matches.
NPFL clubs, on the other hand, played around 450 league and cup matches! In the second-tier Nigerian National League (NNL), 38 clubs played 461 matches, while more than 383 clubs in the third-tier National League One (NLO) fought more than 1,500 times.
As each party pushes some measure of economic activity, it becomes clearer what a nation desperate to provide quality opportunities for its people should focus on. the opportunity If we could make our local leagues and clubs as attractive to Nigerians as they were in the 1970s and 1980s, we would be unleashing an unrivaled economic force that will completely eclipse the cultural and commercial powers of our national teams.
A thriving domestic sports industry would lead to significant PPP infrastructure development, more and better quality jobs, increased tourism, better healthcare, unparalleled talent development and much more.
In the world’s leading sports economy, the United States, between 85% and 95% of revenue is derived from domestic sports. The NBA, for example, generates 260 times the revenue of the men’s national basketball team! Some sports like football and baseball are completely local.
what we should change The problem with our sports is that we are investing between 85% and 95% of our resources in national teams that ideally should not represent more than 10% of the sports economy.
In 2024 alone, the federal government doled out N12b-N17b to the NFF to resolve issues related to the national teams, but where have there been such interventions for the NPFL?
Last year, the federal government and some Nigerian corporations showered the Super Falcons with more than N6b in gifts for winning the WAFCON, but the Nigerian Women’s Football League (NWFL), where 16 of the 24 victorious Falcons began their careers, is virtually on life support.
I accept that government cannot do everything for sport, but it is important to have a clear understanding of the challenge we face and create the right environment for public and private sector partnerships to drive the industry forward.
Key fundamentals Why should we believe that if we take the step and invest in local sports products we can become globally competitive?
Here are five key considerations:
1) LARGE YOUTH POPULATION: With a population of 245 million people, 51% of whom are between 10 and 39 years old, we have a solid foundation on which to build.
2) DECENT ECONOMY: $290.79 billion in 2025 and currently moving north. There is enough capital to turn local sports into gold.
3) CONTINENTAL INFLUENCE: Our movies, music, comedy and fashion have proven that when local entertainment products are successful among Nigerians, Africa wants it. This should potentially increase our continental audience to 300-400 million fans.
4) GLOBAL PENETRATION: Nigerians have spread abroad in large numbers, intermarrying and integrating into other cultures, thus deepening and widening Nigeria’s cultural penetration around the world.
5) PEDIGREE: Even without great systems, we have consistently produced world-class talent, imagine what would happen if we really invested in great systems?
The challenge Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, I suspect the government would lean more towards populist ideas that would favor national teams, but they need to be aware of what the real long-term solution is.
Disruptive ideas Here are six unorthodox ideas that can immediately help boost your local industry. They may not be popular, but they will be very effective.
1) INDUSTRY AUDIT: This is where everything should start. There is no greater need than this. Engage one or more of the Big Four (PwC, KPMG, Deloitte, Ernst & Young) to conduct a comprehensive audit of the local sports industry. It will cost a mountain, but without credible information we will not earn the trust of high-value local and international investors.
2) HYBRID EAGLES: Nobody thought the local players were any good in 2013 until the late Stephen Keshi proved them wrong. If the ultimate goal is to build a vibrant football economy, then over the next 10 years we must adopt a hybrid approach for the Super Eagles and other national teams. This means that each player selection must include 50% foreign players and 50% NPFL players. This will not only encourage our best young players to launch their careers at home, but will compel tens of millions of Nigerian football fans to follow the NPFL and our clubs. It needs this to attract multimillion-dollar television deals, as well as sponsorships and partnerships. South Africa and Egypt – Africa’s two richest leagues – are doing well with hybrid teams.
3) NTA SUPPORT NPFL/NWFL: Most Nigerians cannot afford pay TV. Follow the example of South Africa. Government-funded SABC secures sub-licensing deal to broadcast PSL games from official broadcaster SuperSport. Fund the NTA to do the same for NPFL games.
4) COMPLETELY LOCAL JUNIOR TEAMS: soccer for ages is a development factor. It is foolish to want to win them at all costs. For U20 and U17 teams, select players exclusively from NPFL club youth teams. This will help solidify the league. Why do we buy expensive plane tickets and pay bonuses in dollars to youth national team players who live abroad?
5) BRING IN HIGHLY QUALIFIED YOUNG DIRECTORS – We need young, fresh faces to lead our football. Bright, passionate executives in their 20s and 30s who may come from leading corporate organizations. They will be best placed to connect with our large youth population whilst ensuring the future of the game. Recycling the same old faces under the guise of experience is a guarantee that not much will change.
6) BAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FROM PROMOTING FOREIGN FOOTBALL – A bad message is sent to our youth that we do not value our own when they see high-ranking government officials publicly supporting foreign clubs instead of promoting our domestic football.
In short, sport is big business worldwide. With the global industry expected to maintain its growth for the foreseeable future, investors are crossing countries, continents and cultures to get the best deals. Nigeria needs to wake up and grow its local industry to attract these investors.
We can achieve success on all fronts, but our main goal must be to prioritize national sports.
Beyond ensuring a strong sporting economy, it would ensure long-term success for our national teams of which we can be truly proud.
This will require disruptive thinking and the audacity to tread new paths. However, if we are clear about the direction we should go, 50% of the journey would already be covered.
BY ORUFUO EZAGA
