This year
2013, things are beginning to look up for football business in Nigeria. We must
commend the President, Goodluck Jonathan, for his efforts to get every sector
of the economy running. National Sports Commission (NSC) and indeed, Nigeria
football Federation (NFF) are beginning to get their arts together.
Nigeria National
Team
The appointment
of Stephen Keshi, as senior National team coach has paid off. He has succeeded
in building a Super Eagles team Nigerians are excited about. This year alone,
the team has won African Nations cup and Mandela Challenge trophy. The team has
also qualified for CHAN, for the first time, as well as qualified for 2014 FIFA
World Cup play off.
Nigerians
are so excited and hopeful that the country’s flag will be hoisted in Brazil.
And with the way fans are currently responding to the national team shows there
will be lots of open opportunities for businesses to make money if Super Eagles
eventually qualify for the World Cup.
Nigeria Football League
With the
establishment of Nduka Irabor led League Management Company (LMC), NFF has succeeded
in dousing the unending court cases that has greatly tarnished the image of
Nigeria Premier League.
You wouldn’t
think that the changes will come automatic in one year. LMC has begun a 5 years
reformation program for the elite league. Indeed, such transformation is bound
to affect other rank of the leagues.
First, Glo
Mobile Network has taken up the sponsorship of the league once again. Although,
we’re not sure what the title right is called now – “Glo Professional Football
League” or Glo Premier League.” However, all clubs in the league have received
their own share of the sponsorship deal.
Eight teams
in the elite league also close a shirt sponsorship deal with Dubic Lager and
Harp Lager respectively. There are signs that more will get shirt sponsorship
deal before the next league season.
Two local
sports wear companies, Joma and Owu, now sponsor Enyimba , 3SC and MFM respectively.
We hope to see more sponsorship deals as the transformation agenda unfolds.
Federations Cup
Lagos state
government voluntary sponsorship of the Federations cup has given the
competition a new lease of life. We must also commend the governor, Babtunde Raji
Fashola, who donated the new trophy.
The glamour of
the Federations cup is gradually returning back with all razzmatazz Lagos state
government usually put together at the finals.
Stadium Attendance
Nigeria fans
are gradually coming back to the stadium to attend matches. UJ Esuene Stadium
Calabar has become haven for the national team and fans even pay to throng into
their training session. The 18, 000 capacity is usually filled up anytime Super
Eagles is playing.
Teslim Balogun
is another stadium that get filled to capacity during Federations cup Semi and
final games in Lagos.
Places like Sanni
Abacha stadium Kano, Warri Township Stadium and
Enyimba International stadium Aba are already getting lot of attendance during
league games. Soon clubs will start making money again through ticket sales.
Grassroots Developmental Football
Grassroots
football has enjoyed more attention from corporate organizations this year. Perhaps,
due to the rancor at the league level, many corporate organizations have
resorted to organize their own tournaments for talent hunts. You can name them:
Copa Coca cola, Milo Future Champions
clinic, Gulder-5-Aside, AIrtel Football tournament…
This Year, Shell
/NNPC still maintained the sponsorship of all secondary school football
competition across the country. But NUGA and NIPOGA haven’t enjoyed such
sponsorships.
Football Academies
are springing up without many regulations. However, Pepsi Academy and Kwara
State Football Academy are the only standard academies graduating lots of
footballers already.
Mass Exodus of Footballers
Most players
that graduated from these academies don’t actually get recruited into the
league. There’s this mass exodus of young players seeking to play top flight
football abroad. But with the transformation of the local league in progress,
we hope in the near future some of these players would stay to strengthen the
league.
