Former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has called for a deliberate national strategy to harness sports as a major tool for tackling youth unemployment in Nigeria, arguing that the sector offers “a major solution… hiding in plain sight.”
Speaking recently at a book launch in Lagos, Mr Fashola said the country was overlooking an obvious economic driver despite overwhelming evidence from around the world.
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“This is the time in the history of human civilisation when talent is being most rewarded… and sports, as an expression of talent, has come to be in the vanguard of high-value earnings as a career,” he said.
He noted that while one generation ago sports was largely seen as a hobby, it has now “become full-time well-paid professions in today’s emerging global economic order” and is creating “a vast pathway to a meaningful life for people who would otherwise have existed on the margins of society.”
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Sports as employment engine
Mr Fashola argued that sports has the potential to address Nigeria’s chronic youth joblessness because it primarily employs young people between their teenage years and early 40s. “It has very little, if any, space for 50-year-olds and above,” he said.
Citing global examples, the former Lagos governor pointed out that England’s Premier League, as far back as 2015, contributed £3.36 billion to the UK’s GDP, supported 100,000 full-time jobs, and generated £2.4 billion in tax revenue.
“If we simply project 500 people per club in a 20-team Premier League, that is 10,000 jobs in just the Premier League alone,” he explained, adding that these figures do not include other divisions such as the Championship and League One.
Beyond the athletes themselves, Mr Fashola stressed that sports supports a massive ecosystem of ancillary jobs — from coaches and scouts to physiotherapists, nutritionists, camera operators, and scriptwriters.
He pointed to South Africa’s SuperSport channels on DSTV, which “cover tennis, cricket, NFL, football, snooker, wrestling, golfing, motor racing, basketball and more,” and employ thousands in production and technical roles.
Saudi Arabia, he added, offers another instructive case: “They have invested an average of £5 billion per annum over the last three years across many sports and they are already reporting a one per cent growth in GDP from sports alone.”
Integrating sports into national planning
Mr Fashola recalled unsuccessfully pushing for sports to be part of Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (2017–2020), but said he was later gratified that in the 2021–2025 National Development Plan, sports was “finally elevated to an economic pedestal for job creation, economic development, and empowerment.”
He said Nigeria must embrace sports as part of its national development plan and commit to “optimising the enormous possibilities of sports as not just entertainment but also as a business and a profession.”
Manpower development, he said, is central to this vision, with reforms to the education curriculum needed to train and nurture talent from primary to tertiary level, supported by specialised faculties in sports education.
Infrastructure upgrades should also be pursued, including integrating stadiums with transport systems to improve access and safety.
He further stressed the importance of clear governance and a predictable sports calendar, saying this would enable investment decisions by sponsors, broadcasters, and service providers. Fiscal tools such as tax credits and concessions, he added, could help attract private capital into the sector.
The Lagos example
Drawing from his experience as Lagos governor, Mr Fashola described how consistent, year-round sporting activities kept young people engaged and revived sponsorship interest.
He recalled that between March and December, the state staged school sports, table tennis, swimming, lawn tennis, and boxing events.
“They produced many talents for state and country, they revived the interest of old sponsors… and many other brands became willing and enthusiastic partners,” he said.
Beyond Football
While acknowledging Nigeria’s passion for football, Mr Fashola urged diversification into other sports such as tennis, squash, and snooker — disciplines that also pay lucrative prize money internationally.
He cited the example of “a young female tennis star (Coco Gauff) whose career started about 5 years ago” and who has “earned over $24 million in prize money, and she is just 21.”
A decade of commitment
Mr Fashola concluded by calling for a sustained, long-term approach:
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“We must not look for quick fixes. I subscribe to the idea of a 10 Year Plan and a decade of commitment to sports development. We must appoint sports administrators with proven knowledge and personal discipline… our objective is not to win at all costs, but to win in the end by building something that lasts.”
With over 40 million micro, small, and medium enterprises in Nigeria, he argued that the private sector can be incentivised to invest in clubs and events through targeted fiscal policies. But above all, he stressed, success will depend on discipline, planning, and an unwavering focus on youth engagement.
“The resources we require… abound amongst our large number of persons below the age of 30 who have talent and energy,” he said. “The solution is within reach if we are prepared to do the hard work, enforce the rules and delay gratification.”
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