Football in Nigeria may not be as developed as in England, Spain, or Italy but investing in Nigeria’s football league is also profitable. Many Nigerians in earlier times have made attempts to invest in international football. As earlier seen, Aliko Dangote who happens to be Nigeria’s richest man once upon a time, attempted to invest in the Arsenal football club, it is hard to tell now if the attempt materialized or not but it could have made a greater impact if such move was made on a Nigerian club. Such a move alone could have ignited wider interests.
It does seem like Nigerian local leagues are not so attractive to investors. Not just Nigeria but a majority of Sub-Saharan African leagues don’t get the much-needed attention or investment. But lately, the trend has been changing for Nigerian leagues. More viewers are now partaking in African football in general and Nigeria in particular. Still, rich individuals are not very enthusiastic about investing in Nigeria’s football league.
Despite this lack of adequate support, Nigerian leagues continue to grow with a huge fan base across Africa. Nigerian teams like Rengers, Enyimba, Shooting Stars, etc. are all gaining a fan base across their home region. Football isn’t just about the plays and its entertainment. The business of it has to be put into perspective.
Profitability of Investing in Nigeria Football League
Because of the high cost of players, the international football business is not so lucrative for the club itself. With Millions of pounds spent on acquiring and maintaining players, the football business itself especially in developed football nations often runs on a near loss.
It is true that football stars make huge amounts of money and live affluent life but this is often to the detriment of the club. Here in most parts of Africa, players are not very ambitious in their wage bargain. The majority of African player’s wages are so low that a player’s lifetime wages may not be up to some top players in Europe’s top league’s monthly wages.
We are talking about Nigerian top-league players here. These more affordable players make the investing in Nigerian football league more profitable than elsewhere. The players are not over demanding, they are passionate and play excellent football.
The chances of players from the local league joining the national team or even international clubs are also high. This brings a potential avenue to make more money when these players join the national team or bigger international clubs.
Expanding Nigerian league revenue
Expanding Nigerian league revenue will have to take advantage of the rising fan base and the low cost of players. The low cost of players means that compared to foreign teams, acquiring and keeping players is more affordable. In addition to the low cost of players, expanding the business scope by utilizing the growing fan base to print club and player-branded materials is also a huge business sector that would generate more money for Nigerian clubs. The following can be adopted by clubs to increase revenue.
Production of football Jersey and other materials: The clothing industry in Aba has also mastered the art of football Jersey production. Now with such Jerseys adorning the names of local league players, such outfits may start generating sales from the growing fan base.
Ticketing: All over the world, match day ticketing is also a viable way of making more revenue. Nigerians are becoming more passionate about the Nigerian league. The 2024 league season is seeing the highest viewing of the Nigerian football league with one-time viewers in the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium surpassing ten thousand. That’s unprecedented in Nigerian league games.
With this multifaceted growth, our wealthy individuals and businesses can see reasons to consider investing in Nigeria’s football league. With the right investment, the current progress can be sustained and given the other factors listed earlier, and while Nigerian football may not be as big as their counterparts especially in Europe at the moment, serious profit can be made. It is a thing that serious investors need to start looking into.
Nigerian and African leagues as a breeding ground for international stars
Nigeria can reposition its football industry to become a breeding ground for international footballers. The likes of Mbape, Okocha, Eto, Drogba, Mikel Obi, Kanu, etc. rose from Africa to international football stardom. More investment in African football may see the production of even more interesting football talent for export.
This happens when investors take an interest in Nigerian football. The government also needs to provide a viable footballing environment that could make such investments and the football game to thrive in the country.
Government intervention
Apart from individuals and corporations, governments also need to get more serious about supporting and investing in Nigeria’s football league. Apart from its creation of a viable tourism sector, it also holds serious employment potential for the youth of the country.
Local governments, states, and even the federal government need to step in and make the game and business of football more appealing. When that happens, not only Nigerians but intentional investors would be interested in investing in Nigeria’s football league.
Conclusion
The Nigerians Football League is one that is at it’s early growth. This is the best time to invest in Nigerian football as its full potential is yet to manifest.
With a huge market for sports and entertainment, investors who pay attention to the Nigerian football league are sure to make an amazing return. Several individuals who invest in football in other countries also do that partly because of the prestige and fame that comes with sponsoring football teams.
Football is something that inspires passion among many. The rewards of investing in Nigeria’s football league are unquantifiable. We are calling on capable individuals to invest in Nigerian football as that’s the most viable way for football development to reach its full potential in the country.
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