Sportseconomy: Why Abia should invest in Enyimba, Abia Warriors

One of the ways to grow a country’s economy and boost youth employment drive is through sports.

According to the UKsport, the government invests in sports and physical activity projects to contribute to the economy and support long-term success.

“Today we can reveal our greatest investment to date with £330m in Government and National Lottery funding set to benefit more than 50 sports as they embark on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games cycle.”

In Spain, for instance, there are two major stadiums the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium, providing jobs and tourism facilities to Madrid.

Real Madrid made an operating income of $1.16 billion for the 2023/24 financial year, from the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu despite the venue’s redevelopment scheme being not yet fully complete.

Image Abia State is making such a huge income from its football clubs by intentionally investing in sports.

The sports economy in Nigeria is a growing and dynamic sector that encompasses the economic activities related to sports, including the production, distribution, and consumption of sports-related goods and services.

However, it is unfortunate that those saddled with governance in the country are not paying adequate attention to sports development, unlike their European counterparts.

Nigeria, with its rich cultural diversity and passion for sports, particularly football, has significant potential to harness sports for economic development.

The game of football is the most popular and lucrative sport in Nigeria, especially in Abia State where Enyimba International FC, Abia Warriors are household names.

Currently, Enyimba FC is at risk of elimination from the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup after two consecutive defeats, and a draw, with only a point from three matches. The People’s Elephant suffered a 3-0 loss to Black Bulls FC in their last Group D clash and had earlier suffered a 2-0 defeat, and 2-2 draws with Zamalek and El Masry both from Egypt.

Abia Warriors are unfortunately in the 12th position at the NPFL table with 21 points from 17 games.

One of the biting challenges faced by both teams is financial instability and limited resources.

Amapakabo had to work with limited budgets for transfers and player wages, which often hampered the club’s ability to attract or retain top-tier players.

It cannot be overemphasised that Alex Oti, the Abia State governor should reconsider investing in the state’s sports institutions such as Enyimba FC, and Abia Warriors among others.

As the governor is keen on developing ‘God’s-Own’ state, one sure avenue to achieving this goal is through sports; because studies have shown that investing in sports will attract tourism.

Sports tourism is an emerging sector that draws both international and domestic tourists to various sporting events, tournaments, and activities.

This includes football tournaments, athletics meets, and international matches. The revenue generated from sports tourism can be significant, as it involves hospitality services, travel, and tourism-related businesses.

This in turn will trigger youth development and employment through sports academies and grassroots programmes. A robust sports ecosystem will help Abia State develop athletes, coaches, and administrators.

By extension, it will lead to employment opportunities that will extend to areas such as event management, sports marketing, sports journalism, and athletic performance.

Ideally, the incumbent governor borrows a leaf from Orji Uzor-Kalu, a former governor of the state, who intentionally decided to put the state on the global map by investing in Enyimba FC from 2000 to 2007.

Enyimba’s success under Uzor-Kalu’s administration encouraged other Nigerian clubs to aspire for greatness in African football competitions.

The back-to-back CAF Champions League triumphs brought immense pride and international recognition to Enyimba and Abians as a whole.

It set a benchmark for excellence and motivated other teams to strive for similar achievements. Abia State cannot afford to see its sports institutions turn moribund.

The time to act is now, and Alex Oti must do the needful to upscale the sports glories of the state alongside his other development plans.