By Blessing Olawale Ikuomola Esq. and Boluwatife Favourite Akinola
INTRODUCTION
Football is not just a game but a ritual that unites races, ethnicities, and borders, transcending political divides[1]. Its origins are debated, with some tracing it to ancient China, Rome, and Greece, while others argue the Mesoamerican culture played the beautiful game even earlier[2]. Modern football, however, emerged in 19th-century England[3], inspiring the phrase, “The English originated it, but the Brazilians have perfected it.” With over five billion fans globally, football’s largest fanbases are in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, making its reach universal[4]. This global spread has transformed football from a game of passion to a commercial powerhouse.
According to a study by Open Economies (OE), released by the FIFA and World Trade Organization secretariat, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States will drive up to $40.9 billion in global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and create 824,000 full-time equivalent jobs[5]. In the UK, Ernest & Young LLP reported that the English Premier League and its clubs contributed £8 billion to the economy and created over 90,000 jobs in the 2021/2022 season[6]. In Spain, KPMG’s “Socio-economic Impact of Football in Spain” showed professional football added €8.39 billion to the treasury, generating €18.85 billion through direct, indirect, and induced effects, representing 1.44% of Spain’s GDP and creating 194,381 jobs[7]. Globally, sports revenue is valued at $2.65 trillion, per the Global Institute of Sports using the Best Howard Model[8], with football contributing a significant share.
Nigeria, with a population of about 227.21 million[9] and a large percentage of football fans, has not capitalized on this potential. Issues in the Nigerian footballing space, particularly the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), hinder its transformation into a revenue-generating venture. This article examines the legal framework of Nigerian football, advocates for the privatization of football clubs and leagues, explores funding models, and offers recommendations for stakeholders.
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[1] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/beautiful-game-journey-through-footballs-cultural-legacy-y%C4%B1ld%C4%B1r%C4%B1m-sggaf/?trackingId=%2BxLUbbGOW1%2BSNAj90D3%2Flw%3D%3D&trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block.
[2] [2] https://www.bundesliga.com/en/faq/all-you-need-to-know-about-soccer/the-history-of-soccer-10560
[3] Ibid.
[4] https://publications.fifa.com/en/vision-report-2021/the-football-landscape/.
[5] https://inside.fifa.com/organisation/media-releases/fifa-wto-study-estimates-usd-47-billion-economic-output-from-fifa-club-world.
[6] [6] https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/3884417
[7] https://www.laliga.com/en-GB/news/professional-football-in-spain-generates-more-than-194000-jobs-euro839-billion-in-taxes-and-accounts-for-144percent-of-gdp.
[8] https://gis.sport/news/the-true-size-of-the-global-sports-industry/
[9] https://www.statista.com/statistics/382264/total-population-of-nigeria/?srsltid=AfmBOopUN5W8O3TaAy1N6NSwRucozvLV4GZD3XTcUpw6__v56SbAzGgw