The low patronage of the Nigerian league persist because we are using the same methods that created the problem to solve it. It’s why the oldies will come and tell us the attempts won’t work. I think we have a unique opportunity to create a community that will find away around the problem. We have been made to believe that the industry is capital intensive, heavily tied to government an only government can Invest in it. I will say that’s a lie and a constraint deliberately set on the path for every attempt to fail.
Take for instance the banking and entertainment industries, they faced the same obstacle for years until people who wouldn’t settle for the excuse came along a group of OAPs invested airtime on local music, some decided to put our movies on VHS, Opay, paystack flutterwave changed banking and financial markets despite belonging to an industry heavily tied to regulations.
I have seen a few clubs try to turn the tide, yet fail and it’s because they are focused on the wrong solutions. I am excited at the prospect of Remo Stars but they are yet to scratch an important part of the business that will change everything. Our football is currently a contractor based system but it needs to become a consumer business with the fans at the heart of it.
The best performing branches of banks are the ones close to the markets despite the traditional banks being more corporately branded. League football needs to go informal and create a community that collaborates. The idea behind collaboration is majorly for consumer data insights and exchange it helps is to know who will be buying the league.
Just because our people endure our poor league doesn’t mean they won’t buy into a quality league. We have to turn out league into a product that provides value breaking down the process to find alternatives for the high entry barrier. We have a unique opportunity in the opportunity capital of the world because when our league football blows, the world will take a notice and will flood-in just like our music.
Also at the heart of the football business is education because people have been far gone from it, it’s strange to them. We need to fill that education (not information) gap in any product we are creating out of the league. So before you give up and walk away, take a look at what you are doing and how you are doing it. The numbers are there in the 200M population but can you create something you can sell to 10m of them for a start?
Culled from Enitan Obadina’s comment on NPFL Undiluted. He is a marketing expert with passion for the local league and a desire to see it grow