La Liga Global Network delegate to Nigeria and Ghana, Desmond Chiji has opined that the only way the much talked about sports ecosystem can work is through the introduction of true partnership between relevant government agencies and people in the private sector.
In contrast with often repeated widespread views that various levels of government should hands off the operation of sports in Nigeria, Chiji stressed that there are certain aspects that only people in the public sector can handle.
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Chiji expressed his strong view and verdict in a speech he presented during the two-day Sports Africa Investment Summit 2025 in Lagos, following which he told Sports247 in an exclusive chat that installing an ecosystem goes beyond mere rhetoric.
The Liga representative pointed out that several steps have to be taken and carefully examined before a sports ecosystem is unveiled in Nigeria, as several issues and factors have to be taken into consideration.
He expatiated thus: “We need to build a strong ecosystem for sports. That means you are going to create jobs, you will reach more people, build additional opportunities, engage more communities, and produce greater content. You will enrich your content and encourage more people to get involved. At the end of the day, for example, if Sporting Lagos has a match at home, how are you going to secure the venue and ensure safety for the people?
“You need the government to provide security. You need the police to be able to secure the ground. You need the security forces to be there; so that when people come with their families, their kids and wives, they will watch the match in peace, spend their money, and then go home safely.”
Chiji went on to affirm that government’s role is also needed in the business aspect of sports, especially in terms of churning out policies, creating a vibrant atmosphere and running enlightenment campaigns to educate the populace on gains of the new drive for lucrative ventures in sports.
The Spanish La Liga’s country manager in Nigeria added, “That is why I say government involvement is pivotal in what we are trying to do. We need to start seeing football and sports in general as a business venture. We should start involving both the public sector and the private sector. We need the private sector because we cannot depend solely on government, which provides the public space for sports to operate in. We also need private people who own businesses and want to promote their investments.
“For instance, Super Eagles is a big asset, but we need to understand what we have for us to market it properly. If they are going to play in Zambia for example, we can have Zenith Bank as the sponsor, because they are everywhere. That’s why we need a proper ecosystem to take advantage of this kind of situation.”
Chiji concluded with a look at the possible benefits of a vibrant approach to sports business and marketing, but warned that proper educative steps must be taken to sensitize those who operate the system and to also carry along the general public.
He stressed: “Once we have a solid ecosystem, we will educate people; give them what they need and let them understand how it works. Having an ecosystem is one thing, but you still need to educate the people on how it works.
You will also have to educate the people who will manage it in order to make sure it is seamless and ensure it works on its own. Let it generate its own benefits … like we see in plug and play. We need a system that works. This would encourage investors to come in and put their money. They will be happy to see it working year in year out, and they will trust the product,” Chiji assured.
He theorized, though, that all hands must be on deck to steady the ship, as introducing progressive innovations and revolutionary ideas into Nigerian sports have not moved smoothly in the recent past, considering how people prefer sticking with ideas that they have become accustomed to over the years, even if they are not working as productively as expected.
