Will the matches hold as scheduled? Will officiating be top quality as promised? Will the stadiums be ready? If yes, will they be filled? Will spectators and officials be safe? What will become of the league in years to come? These were some of the questions rightly asked by the media and some would-be sponsors, when PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing in partnership with the Nigeria Universities Games (NUGA) launched, in August this year, what now stands as Nigeria’s first and only collegiate football league, the Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL).
If the mantra about proof of concept being an important requirement for building trust is valid, then one may safely say that following the launch of HiFL, the opening game between UNILAG Marines and UNIBEN Royals did more than convince over 6000 spectators that a radically new sporting initiative is born that will improve collegiate sports and further boost brand marketing in Nigeria. And even if, like me, you breathe an undying passion for football, you would quickly connect when I say the experience was spectacular. The scenes were amazing; players arrayed in beautiful brand crested jerseys, coaches relentlessly screaming instructions from the bench and fans belting out cheers amidst great ovation.
Following the opening match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, spectators, football administrators, journalists and scouts already identified one or two amazing talents that they thought would go far in the competition and also excel should they consider a football career. As the league became more competitive, names like Ebuka David of UAM Tillers, Oripelaye Kehinde of OAU Giants, Ogunrombi Hawal of UNILORIN Warriors and JohnBosco Ekwochi of UNICAL Malabites became prominent in sport media reports with many wondering if the new HiFL will provide these bright youngsters the continuous support to achieve national and international accomplishments.
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However, like every other sport, identifying talent is not enough to develop a sustainable University football league and this is because, to develop sports effectively requires, among other things, a viable sports policy, committed personnel, standard facilities and adequate sponsorship. Former super eagles coach Adegboye Onigbinde couldn’t have said it better than he did in his most recent October 1st interview in the Punch Newspapers when he opined that Nigeria’s problem with sports is not the absence of talents but the proper nurturing of these talents to achieve international success.
Almost always, funding and sponsorship have remained major challenges affecting sports development in Nigeria and this should not be the case, considering the fact that sport is big business in more dynamic societies. As a matter of fact, a recent PwC report estimated that in 2015 global sports sponsorship reached $45billion – out of which Africa contributed less than $2billion – with South Africa shelling out the lion share. A different report by Repucom estimates that global sponsorship reached $62billion by 2017.
Unlike Nigeria’s entertainment industry where brands are leveraging celebrities and local contents to connect with their targets, same cannot be said of sports since there are no viable local sports or even football leagues. As a result, these brands are somewhat restricted to entertainment as perhaps the only serious platform to connect consumers. So, instead of investing in building our domestic sports, these brands are giving priority to foreign platforms. Little wonder why about N50billion is spent annually on TV rights and subscriptions, tourism, merchandising, just for the EPL at the detriment of our own local league.
For a certainty, if there is a sport anywhere in the world that can easily get sponsorship and funding outside of government, football ranks high; having grown from being a factor for unity and entertainment alone to becoming a real business and a marketing platform. Because football sponsorship wields transformative power that is capable of driving exponential growth both in brand awareness and affinity, it is no surprise that many brands are fast turning to it, to drive awareness for their products – especially among a teeming youth target.
So, when the 2018 Higher Institutions Football League kicked off, amidst investor apathy, few notable Nigerian brands saw the bigger picture. One cannot but salute companies and organizations that are not only encouraged by an enduring, extensive opportunity to connect with the youth segment but more importantly, deliberately seek opportunities to grow and support young talents as they diligently strive for their place in contributing to national development and pride. These organizations are not only about their brands or to turn a profit, they have demonstrated that they genuinely care about the present but also have an eye out for the future.
That leap of faith today, has earned these brands an increased customer base, stronger customer loyalty and top of mind awareness around and beyond the participating campuses, assets that drive revenue and growth.
Truth is, there is a strong connection between brand building and sports that has not been fully explored in Nigeria because of a lack of strong sporting platforms and only a deliberate effort by discerning brands to leverage credible home-grown and sustainable platforms like the HiFL will help change the narrative of sports in Nigeria. Beyond sports, the league seeks a tie-in of international recognition of athletic success to the improvement of academic objectives, enhancing the overall reputation of higher institutions in Nigeria on a global scale.
With 28 games played, the maiden edition of the HiFL final matches with the widest media coverage and reach are upon us this Saturday at the Agege Stadium in Lagos. As sports lovers nationwide look forward to who emerges winner of the HiFL 2018 between UNICAL Malabites and UAM Tillers there lies again another opportunity for more critical stakeholders, brands and businesses to get on board and be a part of the those changing the game for good.
OLUFEMI ISAAC OLATUNJI
Olatunji is the Media Officer of Higher Institutions Sports League HiSL®. A PR consultant, public speaker and writer. He writes via: olatunjiolufemi45@gmail.com
