These Eleven Sports Businesses Work Like Money Making Machine In Nigeria

Sports business is usually a thing of passion and often than not, start without a proper business analysis.

Well, If you want to start a sports outfit of your dream as a side business, no problem! But if it is what you want to do for a living, then I suggest you carry out a more careful feasibility study.

Not all sports businesses you see around the world thrives in Nigeria. So don't go reading articles like "50 Best Sports Business Ideas and Opportunities," and quickly pick any of the ideas for your start up.

Nigerian sports industry is peculiar and isn't as developed business wise. Sports are largely funded by government as a youth social development thing, so people don't really see reasons why they should pay for those services.

Having said that, there are also sports related businesses that run like money making machine in this country. Here, I want to share 10 of such sports business opportunities you can start.

1. Sports Betting company or their Sales Agent
Sports betting is growing in leaps and bounds in Nigeria. It is one sports related business that is thriving like a money making machine in this country.

Although, creating your own sports betting brand and promoting it may require a huge capital outlay. You may decide to become a sales agent to some already popular brands.
There are a lot of sports fans around who would like to place bet by visiting your outlet closer to them or your website online, with that you can earn a lot of commission from the sports betting company you represent. One key factor that will help you to succeed in this business is to pay winners as at when due.

2. European clubs Shirt Merchandise & Customization
Top football clubs in Europe such as Real Madrid FC, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal FC, Manchester United, Chelsea, AC Milan, Inter Milan, PSG, Juventus, Manchester City, Liverpool FC... have a fan base that cuts across Nigeria
If you live in a city like Lagos that has robust football followership, one of the sports related business that thrive so much is football jersey merchandising and customizing business. What you need to understand early is the market, which fans are more motivated to buy their favorite clubs jersey at a give time; will they prefer the high quality shirts or those of lesser price.

3. Sports Viewing Center or Sports Bar
Sport viewing center is one of the low budget sports related business that you can start here in Nigeria. No matter the city or even village where you live in Nigeria, football viewing center is well patronized.

Aside from Uefa champions’ league, English Premiership League (EPL) and La Liga, football lovers also pay to watch FIFA soccer world cups and African cup of Nations

It is a cool way of making money. If the business is well located and you have enough space to accommodate fans, you will be amazed at the amount you will make from the business. The major thing you need to do to get this type of business started is to rent a hall, acquire 3 or more big screen TVs, digital satellite TV decoder, chairs and power generator.
Furthermore, be sure to make your viewing center really attractive, since there is already a crazy trend of competition in this trade. You may decide to make your center a sports bar, where customers are also served drinks while they watch the match. Just create a very unique setting so as to attract all and sundry.

4. Gym and Keep Fit Center
 People register in gyms to keep fit and it is common to see people who are into active sports registering in a gym close to them especially if the gym is well equipped with state of the art gymming equipment.
Even working class and women lossing shape due to fat also register in gyms to do exercises from aerobics to jogging on machine...
The start-up capital required to set up a standard gym might be on the high side, but the truth remains that you are sure of making your money if the gym is well located, especially in high brow areas like lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Ikeja GRA....
More than ever in the history of man, people are beginning to take their fitness status really seriously. So, in starting a gym, you have to have it well equipped with the necessary machines

5. Private Sports Facilities for Rental
In most urban areas in Nigeria you hardly find sports facilities: pitches or courts that are well maintained. Schools and corporate bodies look for sporting facilities to rent for trainings or for their sporting events.

If you have a standard sporting facility that is well maintained  you at eilltract a lot of make a lot of

6. Sports Newspapers and Magazine
If you are a trained journalist or an investor interested in media publications, one of the sports related businesses that you can decide to start is a sports magazine or sports newspaper.

The percentage of people who read sports news and buy sports newspapers are so high in Nigeria and they are enough to sustain a growing business profits if you do it well and deliver what the people want to read....
Publish news of top five european leagues, especially Premier league, news about Nigerian stars abroad, news of domestic leagues or Caf competitions and other sports.

7. Sports Shop
No matter the part of Nigeria or the city that you live in, there are couple of people who are engaging in one sporting events or the other. As a matter of fact, there will be one or more sporting events that is popular in the city.
Here in Nigeria and cities like Lagos, if you go to the stadium, you see a lot of people playing football, basketball, cycling, gyming, boxing, race....   In essence if you decides to open a sports shop wherever you are located, you will definitely attract loads of customers as long as your sports shop deals in relevant sports wares and it is well positioned.
You could sell sports kits, equipment, medals and tophies...

8. Sports Marketing Agency
If you are a professional marketer, you can start a marketing company that is specialized in sports marketing. You can market and promote sports events and sports wares or anything related to sports for concerned organizations.
It is a cool way of making good money with little investment. For example, you can help a company who are into manufacturing of sport clothes market and promote their new products and you are sure going to make money as long as people patronize sport wares from them.


9. Scouting or  Player's Agency
One of the coolest ways of making money from soccer (football) without being a football player is to become a talent scout for football clubs in Europe or even in your country or become an agent representing a player.
The truth is that football business is indeed a money spinning business and if you are able to discover world class football talent for a club, you are likely going to become an instant millionaire especially if one of the top football clubs in Europe such as Real Madrid FC, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal FC, Manchester United, Chelsea, AC Milan, PSG...signs the player that you discovered or represent.

Example is  John Shittu who made millions of dollars yearly for discovering and representing John Mikel Obi and Chinadu Obasi.
John Mikel Obi was signed for Premier league team Chelsea several time for 10 years and Chinedu Obasi for Bundesliga side Shalkar O4.

10. Online Sports Training and Certification Programs
I don't think anyone is doing this rightnow in Nigeria, but it is one sports business idea that are spinning money like vending machine abroad. Our evidence that it will work here is the large number of Nigerians taking these online courses with Smww or The global School of Sports. And indeed, these are just the few privileged ones.

I get an average of ten persons daily, making inquiry for coaching course, Player's Agent course, sports marketing and management course, referee course...
Setting up such business in Nigeria will be highly profitable.


11 Sports Radio Station
Another sports media related business that you consider starting in Nigeria is a sports radio station; a station that is dedicated to everything about sports on a 24 / 7 basis.
Although it is capital intensive to run a 24 hours a week sports radio station, but you are sure going to reap huge benefits from the business, through advertisement and sponsored publicity.


In my subsequent write up I will share detail feasibility of these businesses, so you can have enough information to make your decisions. Therefore, always return back to this post to see updates and link to the feasibility study.