The Spark Magazine (Jun 2018)

JUN 

2018 

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT MAGAZINE 

FREE WITH BUSINESS DAY LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

From Our Guest Editor 

GO FOR GOLD 

S 

port is a powerful force that can encourage people to look past their 

differences and discover those values they hold in common. And 

in an increasingly fractured world anything that can unite people 

who don’t see eye to eye should be celebrated. Such a celebration is 

happening right now as the football World Cup takes place in Russia - 

the most popular sporting event on earth. It literally has the whole world 

watching as this unique drama unfolds. 

What else can bring so many people together for something that’s 

fundamentally healthy and positive? Of course in Nigeria, there’s no 

doubt about how we feel about the “beautiful game”. The head of world 

football’s governing body, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, during his 

visit to Nigeria earlier this year perhaps summed it up best when he 

observed: “In Nigeria, Football is life”. 

To the delight of Nigerians, The Super Eagles were the first African Nation 

to qualify for the World Cup. They will carry the hopes and aspirations of 

Nigeria with them. 

This edition is about unity and the common passion of a people. 

Toyin Eleniyan 

Guest Editor 

Published By 

Head of Business & Growth 

Oghenevwoke Ighure 

Advertising 

Linda Ochugbua 

Empowerment Director 

Jeremy Oparah 

Editor 

Anthony Osae-Brown 

Advert Manager 

Adeola Ajewole 

Specialist Editor 

Michelle Edoreh 

Publisher 

Frank Aigbogun 

Head of Business Development & 

Client Services 

Ikenna Onuorah 

Head of Marketing 

Akintunde Marinho 

Head of Operations 

Fabian Akagha 

Head of 

Advertising & Sales 

Kola Garuba 

Guest Editor 

Toyin Eleniyan 

Creative Director 

Segun Adekoye 

Art director 

Kola Oshalusi 

Head of Strategy 

& Planning 

Bankole Jamgbadi 

Managing Editor 

Lanre Solarin 

Chief People Officer 

Lehlé Baldé 

Ass. Managing Editor 

Ayandola Ayanleke 

Chief Communications Officer 

Janet Benson Amarhavwie 

Design 

Sodeinde Oladapo 

In-house Photographer 

James Otihi 

In-house Designer 

Bamisaye Ayodeji 

Cover Illustrator 

Ayooluwa Elisha 

IT Director 

Michael Aworoghene 

Address: 

Enquiries: 

The Spark: 21, Military Street, Off King George V Street, Lagos Island. 

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+2348123183458, +2347030951270, +2348182799268 

Email: info@thesparkng.com 

Website: www.thesparkng.com Social media: @thesparkng

Contributors 

Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar 

is the team physician of the Super Eagles of Nigeria. He hails from 

Kano municipal in Kano state, Nigeria and is a full time Sports and 

Exercise physician, specifically trained at the Royal London Hospital 

on White Chapel and Mile End in the United Kingdom under Queen 

Mary University of London. He is also a full time member of the 

European College of Sports and Exercise Physicians. 

Koye Sowemimo 

is the Head of Sports at The Temple Management Company Group, a 

global full-service Talent Agency and Talent & Event Management 

Company that represents talents and manages events across the 

sports, entertainment, arts and public sectors. 

Nkechi Obi 

attended Queen’s College Lagos, Federal School of Arts and Science 

Victoria Island and University of Lagos where she obtained a BSc. 

in Chemistry. Nkechi also attended University of Lagos for her MBA 

degree. Nkechi has been in sports management since 1991 as an 

Administrator in the Nigeria Squash Rackets Federation, serving as 

Tournament Director, National & International Squash Tournaments, 

before going into full Sports Marketing in 1998. She is presently the 

Managing Director/CEO, Premium Sports Management Services and 

Programme Director, SPORTSPRO NIGERIA.t 

Olu Ogunlela 

is a Peak Performance Consultant and the Founder of Liferithms, a 

data driven human capacity development company dedicated to 

improving workforce productivity without sacrificing health and 

wellbeing. He is also the inventor of Kairos Krunch, an intelligent 

calendar which provides its users with a peak performance score 

and weekly insights into how to increase productive use of time 

while experiencing work-life balance. Before Liferithms, Olu was a 

renewable energy professional with 7 years’ experience and he was 

previously part of Team Nigeria as a professional cyclist. 

Bankole Cardoso 

is the co-founder of SimplyAds, which is an Out-Of-Home advertising 

company in Lagos, Nigeria. Before venturing into the world of 

entrepreneurship he worked as a Venture Capitalist, investing in 

startups across Africa with Quona Capital and has an MBA from 

Columbia Business School. He is an avid football fan. 

Damilola Oyewusi 

is a Content and Digital Marketing Strategist working in the Social 

Innovation sector. She uses the power of strategic content and the 

dynamic nature of marketing communications to influence and 

amplify life-changing innovative solutions to social problems. 

Toyin Henry-Ajayi 

is a marketing and advertising expert who loves to share insight and 

experiential knowledge with marketing professionals, enthusiasts and 

businesses. 

Moyo Ogunseinde 

(Bsc, Arch (UCL) M.SC, Arch. (UCL), MNIA, MBA) is the creative brand 

director as well as the architect /developer of Upbeat, first 

purpose built trampoline and Recreation Park in West Africa. She 

is an architect, product designer and Real Estate Entrepreneur 

with a proven track record of overseeing substantial real estate 

investment portfolio. Her passion for Sports and Youth development 

in Nigeria saw her being elected as a member of the Nigerian 

Gymnastic Federation in 2017 as well as numerous sponsorships and 

development of competitions and coach trainings in Nigeria and 

abroad. 

Deji Olomojobi 

is a qualified Solicitor and Advocate in Nigeria with work experience 

spans a period of about 14 years of successful practice. He has a 

Law Degree from the prestigious University of Lagos, Nigeria and a 

Master of Law Degree from the renowned University of California, 

Berkeley. Deji is presently the Director, Legal of The Temple 

Management Company Group, a global full-service Talent Agency 

and Talent & Event Management Company that represents talents 

and manages events across the sports, entertainment, arts and public 

sectors. 

Chisom Martin Ojukwu 

is a Master of Ceremonies and TV Host. He writes and speaks for 

desired effect in the areas he is most passionate about - youths, 

education, and effective communication. With experience drawn from 

sojourns in engineering, finance and media, Chisom brings an ‘innercircle’ 

perspective to the table. He loves Nigeria and continues to see 

hope for her; not in spite of, but because. 

Copyright © 2018 The Spark. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or 

mechanical, without prior permission of The Spark. 

We do not endorse any products or services mentioned in any of the articles and are not responsible for the outcome of using such products or services.

www.thesparkng.com 

The Spark | Ignite/Connect/Achieve 

Content 

4 6 8 10 

BOTTOM LINE WIREDIN 

PRO BONO FREESTYLE 

The Sports Business – Challenges 

and Prospects. 

Football Beyond Boundaries 

The Laws of Sports 1. The Nigerian Jersey 

2. Sports Photojournalism 

3. The Spark Profiles AyoOluwa Elisha 

- A Visual Illustrator 

15 

22 

27 

30 

VITAL SIGNS 

GO FOR GOLD 

START UP 

TODAY AT… 

1. Brace Up 

2. Balance for Peak Performance 

3. Recreation in Sports 

4. At The Bridge 

1. Abu Azeez Going for Gold 

2. William Troost-Ekong Going for Gold 

3. Seye Ogunlewe Going for Gold 

4. Leon Balogun Going for Gold 

5. Asisat Oshoala Going for Gold 

1. Football Academy 101 

2. Scoring With World Cup 

Marketing 

Mayorfit Hub 

31 33 

BRANDSPARK 

The Soda Wars: Coke vs Pepsi 

WHAT NEXT? 

@thesparkng 

3



The Sports 

Business – 

Challenges and 

Prospects 

Nigeria is a country of over 180 Million citizens with a 

burgeoning middle class and a young population, 65% 

of who are between the ages of 15 and 30 years. Sports 

offers a prospect for the Nigerian society as a whole 

because nothing galvanizes Nigerians more than sports. 

It is the only national endeavour which every Nigerian 

supports without thought to tribal, ethnic, regional or 

political sentiments. 

- By Nkechi Obi 

Bottom Line 

Since sport enjoys the attention and devotion of Nigerians 

like nothing else, any platform that can tap into the passions 

of Nigerians for sports will win the hearts of Nigerians, and 

corporate organisations and governments realising how much 

impact sports has on the lives of ordinary citizens, have tapped 

into the promise of sports by sponsoring and promoting various 

aspects of the sports industry. 

Sports development in Nigeria is still largely government 

dominated, and corporate involvement in sports is seen largely 

from the standpoints of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), 

despite the phenomenal growth in global sports financing and 

the centrality of sports business and marketing that forces 

corporate organizations in developed countries to compete for 

sports properties and investments in other countries. 

The potentials of the sports sector to drive future economic 

growth and youth development has been hampered by lack 

of investment funds and structures to the extent that sports in 

Nigeria has been reduced to a footnote, with emphasis been 

placed on participation at events, as opposed to its business and 

revenue generating potentials 

In accordance with one of the rules of growth and consolidation 

by corporate citizenry the world over, a key strategy has always 

been to seek for major problems in the society and provide 

solutions to them using business models. Sports provides such 

a platform but the challenge has always been how to engage 

the interest of the private sector from a business point of view 

whilst also tapping into the business side to perform a social 

development function geared towards developing the potentials 

of the youth of the country. 

A private sector driven sports industry would ensure the 

commitment to the required investment to deliver on the 

potentials of the sports industry to add value to the Nigerian 

economy, whilst also assisting the government in its core 

objectives of social integration, economic empowerment and 

youth engagement. 

With the right policies as deployed in developed and developing 

countries to drive social engagement and inclusion as well 

as economic development, the sports industry in Nigeria is 

capable of harnessing the economic power of the youth through 

engagement in sports. 

The resultant effect is an increased participation in sporting 

activities among all Nigerians, thus providing opportunities for 

discerning investors to tap into the community spirit engendered 

by sports and maximize the commercial opportunities and 

platforms for economic development and growth. 

The 2009 National Sports Policy, the latest Policy document 

guiding Nigeria’s sports development established its philosophy 

as “To encourage participation in Sport as avenue for 

enhancement of health, exhibition of innate physical attribute, 

expression of talents, skills and alleviation of poverty”, with the 

Vision “To establish a technically efficient institution equipped 

with the desired professional manpower, resources, right 

equipment and well maintained facilities for sports development 

and participation”, and a Mission “To develop the sports sector 

to a world class level where it would provide continuous 

improvement of quality of life for the entire citizenry to the 

extent that Nigeria would be recognised as one of the leading 

sporting countries in the world.” 

The Sports Policy arose from the Vision 2020 Technical 

Committee on Sports 2009 Report which stated that “In the 

course of their work, a review of past policies, panel reports 

and other relevant documents on sports development showed 

huge gaps between policies and implementation, absence of 

clear strategies that recognized critical linkages between sports, 

education, foreign policy, tourism, urban development, human 

capacity development, science, technology and innovations, 

special groups (women, youth, physically challenged persons), 

manufacturing, private sector participation and timely funding, 

to tackle the long term planning sports development requires. 

This contrasts with practices in the leading sports countries 

where legislation, entrenchment of sports in the school system, 

application of sports science and private sector involvement 

are recognized as essential to sports, and governments and the 

private sector promote sports optimally as a key sector for social 

and economic development.” 

Economic Opportunities and Benefits of Sports to Nigeria 

1. A population of 180 Million, 65% are between 15 and 35 

years, thus guaranteeing a long term market for sports 

goods and services. 

2. TV and media audience of between 25 and 50 million – 

capable of attracting a fair share of the over N400 Billion 

advertising spend on sports content and events. 

3. Mobile and Internet growth projections for Africa of 10% 

annually till 2020. 

4. Nigerian sports sector has an estimated size of between 

N400 and N500 billion primarily from Government and 

Corporate Media Spend as well as revenues from sports 

betting and merchandising activities. The creation and 

development of SMSEs in the sports ancillary sectors 

such as merchandising, equipment manufacture as well as 

investment in venues and facilities construction and content 

development, management and broadcast, is capable of 

4 

@thesparkng



adding considerably to the size of the industry. 

5. Football is the No 1 sport with over 20,000 league and non 

league, professional and amateur clubs: 

a. Over 3,000 football matches per season. 

b. Combined direct target of approximately 50,000 players, 

officials, administrators. 

c. Over 250,000 people directly employed in football 

administration and management. 

d. Stadium audience of between 5 and 8 million visitors across 

all leagues per season. 

e. Combined turnover of between N18 and 22 Billion across all 

leagues per season. 

f. Sports activities revenues of between N3 and N4 billion per 

season (N375 per stadium visitor). 

6. Sport is an effective tool for job creation. By developing new 

activities based on sport or by more effectively using existing 

sports facilities, sports- and community-based programmes 

can create jobs, particularly for young people, and especially 

where unmet demand is identified. 

7. In addition sport adds to economic development by providing 

a cheap method of improving employability especially 

among young people. By teaching core skills essential for 

the workplace such as teamwork, leadership, discipline and 

the value of effort, sport provides young people with a 

constructive activity that helps reduce levels of juvenile crime 

and antisocial behaviour and, in instances of child labour, 

provides a meaningful substitute for work. 

8. The estimated potential of the industry is projected as being 

able to contribute about 1.7-2% of the GDP of the country i.e. 

US$3.5 to US$5 Billion locally, in areas such as: 

a. Facilities (Real Estate) Development 

b. Merchandising and Retail Marketing 

c. Content and Media Development 

d. Athletes Development and Management 

e. Sports Tourism (Events Development and Management) 

f. Job Creation and Employment (Projected at between 2 Million 

and 5 Million jobs over a 5 year period of massive investment 

and development of the sector). 

The Way Forward for a Viable, Profitable Nigerian Sports 

Industry 

Certain drivers specific to Nigeria are viewed as opportunities to 

drive growth of Sports as a Business. This includes: 

a. High youth population 

b. Growing adoption of social media and technology 

c. Growing sports betting market; In Nigeria, people spend 

approx. N1.8 billion on sports betting weekly etc. 

Countries that have effectively harnessed the full potentials of 

sport as a contributor to the economy, and as a social and 

community development platform, achieved these objectives 

through a PPP combination that saw the Public (Government) 

as the developer of Policies and legislation that promoted the 

economic opportunities which the private sector leveraged to 

deliver economic development, sports programmes, and social 

inclusion. 

The current trend in developed societies is for the Private sector to 

partner with the Public sector in tapping into the business 

potentials of a sector with economic potentials such as the Sports 

Sector and develop policies, strategies and interventions to ensure 

economic growth and prosperity in that sector, which in turn, 

guarantees social and community development across all spheres. 

“ 

The estimated potential of the 

industry is projected as being able 

to contribute about 1.7-2% of the 

GDP of the country. 

“ 

This trend requires a framework for tapping into the business 

potentials of sports development and its commercialization, and 

is generally achieved through a robust National Sports Industry 

Policy as the guide post for overall national sports development; 

the promotion of a healthier society and the strengthening of 

appropriate regulations and legislations that support and facilitate 

sporting initiatives and activities. 

It is imperative that the National Sports Industry Policy Document 

is tailored to reach a mutual understanding, vision, policy and targets 

in the field of sports and provide coordination and cooperation in 

the services and activities of the relevant public institutions and 

organizations and non-governmental organizations and other 

stakeholders. Relating to the youth and sports in their programs, 

projects and practices, and serve as the platform to develop the 

complete sports ecosystem and engage with the young people 

who are the primary targets of sporting activities 

The National Sports Industry Policy should be one part of the 

National Sports Sector framework that seeks to create an inclusive, 

facilitating and empowering environment for the delivery and 

practice of sports and physical activity. The Policy is a roadmap 

towards the achievement of national development goals related 

to healthy living, economic growth and sustainability, promotion 

of equity and excellence, and is informed by robust national 

consultations that have identified national development priorities 

as well as global development trends and best practice models. 

These consultations will aid in ensuring that the approach to the 

delivery of quality sports and physical activity experiences would 

seek to contribute to the development of nationhood. The National 

Sports Industry Policy calls on all stakeholders to understand their 

roles and to willingly participate within the existing local context 

to find novel solutions. Citizens are encouraged to collaborate and 

cooperate in order to maximize opportunities for the successful 

realization of these goals. 

The success of a National Sports Policy in contributing to national 

development goals is intrinsically linked to the degree to which 

the policy could be harmonized with policies in other government 

departments and its strategies integrated with other approaches 

towards achieving similar national objectives. The policy therefore 

must not only be adopted into the national legislative framework 

but must be understood in such a manner that it’s tenets could 

be integrated and built upon in complementary spheres of 

governance. 

The participation of young people in economic and social areas has 

a great significance for any country’s development and 

improvement. The existence of a dynamic young population is a 

great opportunity and wealth for countries such as Nigeria for the 

continuity of a multidimensional development move which centers 

on the individual. Therefore, it is necessary to support the personal 

and social development of young people, to create opportunities 

and to provide ground for them to truly reveal their potentials and 

to help them participate actively in every aspect of social life. Sport 

is therefore a platform to aid such development, and a coherent 

National Policy for a Sports Industry driven by the private sector, 

would go a long way in addressing these objectives. 

@thesparkng 

5



Wired In 

Football Beyond Boundaries 

Bankole Cardoso, along with Olaoluwa Aina and Seun Cardoso, is the co-founder of SimplyAds media, the first mass 

mobile outdoor advertising platform in Lagos. With over 60 digital LED screens on top of Lagos state yellow taxis, 

they have worked with clients such as YouTube, Dominos, Coldstone, Jumia, Pepsi and concerts. They also recently 

helped to promote the Nigerian female bobsled team at the Winter Olympics and the launch of the new Nigerian 

football jersey. In this article, discover how new media can influence the sports industry. 

- By Bankole Cardoso 

Football in Nigeria is not where it should be. We have the raw 

talent - very athletic and gifted people but when it comes 

to competing professionally and on the world stage, we are 

underachieving because we do not have enough investment in 

facilities and coaching. Still though, there are a lot of innovations 

in sports that we can adopt to improve our local game but 

there must be enough interest from the people to attract the 

investment that is needed. The good thing is new media is 

already making an impact. 

New media has allowed fans to interact with players and their 

teams like never before. Through social media, they can follow 

the lives of their favourite footballers and are able to access so 

much more information than before. This has made football 

even bigger than it used to be. 

The simplest and most straightforward way that key people in 

the industry can leverage technology is by using it as a means to 

connect with the fans. That can be through traditional media like 

my company SimplyAds, where we supported the launch of the 

Nigerian football jerseys for the World Cup and as you are likely 

aware, the Nigerian Jerseys were sold out within three minutes 

of its launch. 

3 million lots sold in 3 minutes! That is unprecedented and shows 

the thirst for sports, especially football in Nigeria and the social 

media following that the Super Eagles have. For the future, Virtual 

Reality will be an interesting new technology that stakeholders 

should be looking to implement. 

Professional footballers are adored all over Nigeria. Just like our 

Nollywood stars and musicians, they provide entertainment and 

arguably even more joy for a lot of people that identify as Nigerian. 

Football is all about the media. The inability of everyone to go to a 

match doesn’t affect the number of people that’ll watch it, thanks to 

media. Today with TV, social media and other forms, it is accessible 

to almost everybody. 

“ 

For the future, Virtual Reality will be an 

interesting new technology that 

stakeholders should be looking to 

implement. 

“ 

6 

@thesparkng



Pro Bono 

The Laws of Sports 

Deji Olomojobi is a Lawyer and the Legal Director of The Temple Management Company Group, a global full-service 

Talent Agency and Talent & Event Management Company that represents talents and manages events across the 

sports, entertainment, arts and public sectors. The Temple Management Company primarily sets out to assess, 

acquire, develop, promote and engage the best talents; providing them with opportunities and tools to enable their 

success. Here’s a legal guide to help footballers and entrepreneurs in the sports industry. 

- By Deji Olomojobi 

Law is a system of rules created to regulate behaviour. Every 

sport, on the other hand, is bound by a set of rules created 

by a global, regional and or national regulatory body to 

regulate participation and proceedings in the specific sport. The 

existence of rules regulating a sport, in itself, confirms that there 

is a legal side to sport. 

Typically, there will be a global governing body regulating the 

specific sport with its set of rules and regulations. These rules 

may be replicated at the Continental, Regional, National and 

Local levels, with the necessary modifications peculiar thereto. 

The existence of these set of rules calls for need for their 

interpretation and application, which involves the legal side of 

the sport. 

The legal side of sport is also evident from the identification of 

the key players and stakeholders in sports and their 

interrelationship with each other. Legal is key to the relationships 

between the stakeholders in sport, whether be it the contractual 

relationship between the player and the team or club, or the 

coach and the club, or the agent and the player, or the manager 

and the player, or the club and a sponsor, or the player and a 

brand or corporate, etc. All of these contractual relationships 

fall on the legal side of the sport. Also, conflicts or differences 

between these stakeholders, which often arise, are resolved 

through the legal mechanism. Hence, the legal side of sport is as 

important as the sport itself. 

It is important to note first of all that the laws that govern the 

sports or football industry are not just the rules of the game as 

set down by the governing body or associations but includes 

other laws governing other sectors. 

Clearly, an understanding by footballers and stakeholders of the 

laws governing sports/football sector defines what is permissible 

or not permissible for the footballers or stakeholders both for 

on-field and off-field activities. 

What is permissible or not permissible may be unique to the 

roles of each stakeholder and the territory of operation. 

A few of the stakeholders in football or sports are the players, 

the team or club, team/club executives, club employees, arena/ 

venues, spectators, officials, coaches, managers, agents, brand 

owners, sports kit and equipment manufacturers, sponsors, 

brands/corporates, media, the public, sports association, 

governing bodies, etc. 

With each of these stakeholders, understanding the laws 

governing the sport may not necessarily be limited to the 

knowledge of the rules of the game only but may extend 

to other laws which appear to be non-sport related on the 

surface, e.g. employment laws, Intellectual property law, etc. For 

instance, while the player, in his/her relationship with the club, 

will primarily be concerned with the rules of the game pertaining 

to the actual game, and other laws such as employment and 

contractual laws; a brand/ corporate may focus more on the part 

of the rules of the game pertaining to sponsorships, intellectual 

property laws, image rights, privacy laws, etc. 

Certainly, an understanding of the laws governing sports enables 

the footballers and stakeholders to understand their rights, 

limitations and opportunities available to them and how to 

maximize same. 

Ignore These Laws At Your Peril 

Sports incorporate a wide range of legal disciplines. Aside from 

the rules set down by the global governing body regulating the 

specific sport, typically adapted at the Continental, Regional, 

National and Local levels, some of the laws or areas of law which 

must not be ignored include: 

• Contract Law 

• Intellectual Property Laws 

• Employment Laws 

• Child Labour Laws 

• Privacy Laws 

• Immigration Law 

• College sports rules 

• The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 

Rules, which plays a critical part in sports in the US, etc. 

An important principle of law is that ignorance of the law is no 

excuse. Thus, by breaching a law, you cannot typically avoid 

liability by holding out for a defence that you were unaware of 

the existence of or stipulation of the law in question. 

Based on the principle that ignorance is no excuse, the major 

issue that can be faced due to ignorance of laws is the 

possibility of the consistent breach of such laws from the lack of 

understanding of rights, privileges and limitations pertaining to 

the player or stakeholder. 

8 

@thesparkng



For instance, a player that is ignorant of the rules of the game will be 

subjected to several breaches of the rules, committal of several in-game 

discrepancies, disciplinary issues, which all invariably affect performance. 

An agent, who is ignorant of the Contract Laws or specific FA Rules may be 

unknowingly entering into an illegal and unenforceable agency contract 

with a talented minor. In certain instances and in some territories, even 

where a talent is no longer a minor, an agent or sponsor or team/club may 

nonetheless be unknowingly entering into an illegal contract where certain 

laws or rules forbid same, e.g. the National Collegiate Athletic Association 

(NCAA) Rules in the US, which forbids student-athletes from agreeing to 

be represented by an agent or organization in the marketing of his or her 

athletic ability or reputation, or negotiating or signing a playing contract, 

until after the completion of the last intercollegiate contest, including 

postseason games. 

A common issue we face in Nigeria, in terms of ignorance of the law, 

pertaining to brands and corporates, is the indiscriminate and unauthorized 

use of the images of players, talents and other football properties, logos 

and trademarks. Most of these breaches presently go unchallenged but 

the terrain is changing as the world is becoming a smaller community 

through social media. 

Before Signing With A Club Or Agent… 

…Consider factors or questions such as - ‘Is this an agent or club I want to 

work with?’, ‘Do my short term or long term goals fit in with the club or 

agent?’, ‘Does the agent have the qualities to deliver as an agent?’ etc. 

However, note that any legal contracts should be entirely left to an expert, 

that is, a lawyer. Although players are encouraged to have an understanding 

of contractual terms, to an extent, this should not take the place of 

engaging the experts to consider the legal issues before entering into a 

contractual relationship with a club or an agent. 

A lawyer is better equipped in dealing with the legal issues to be considered 

prior to a player signing with a club or an agent, even if the input of the 

player is required in the process. 

Setting Up A Football Academy 

In recent times, football academies, which were very few some years ago, 

keep springing up across the country. While we now have so many 

academies in the country, sadly a number of them are disorganized with 

no proper structure. 

A lot of Academy proprietors forget that an Academy is no different from 

an organized institution or school where special courses or skills are 

imparted by experienced hands and teachers to students. This is where 

the young talents learn their trade in terms of skills, techniques and tactics 

that will equip them for the future as professionals. 

In a way, Football Academies are not too different from Football Clubs in 

terms of set up and personnel. The main difference is in the organization, 

which requires some form of registration and licensing with the Football 

Federation. 

In the same vein, Football Academies ought to register and be licensed 

with the Football Federation. Before the registration and licensing 

procedure by a Football Academy, it is imperative that the interested 

persons register or incorporate an entity for the purpose of setting up the 

institution. As a next step, put in place the necessary legal documentation 

for the engagement of the requisite personnel for the Academy. Legal 

documentation for securing the necessary facilities for the Academy are 

also of great importance. The players/students being an important part of 

an Academy, there has to be some form of legal documentation covering 

their admission into the Academy. Of utmost paramount is the registration 

or licensing with the Football Federation. 

It is only when Football Academies are properly organized that we can 

indeed derive benefits and develop Football in Nigeria. 

In Conclusion 

Up and coming footballers need to familiarize themselves with all that 

concerns them legally. No matter how versed you may become in terms 

of the legal side of sports, never overlook the role of an expert in giving 

advice on legal matters. 

A common issue we face in Nigeria, in terms of ignorance of the 

law, pertaining to brands and corporates, is the indiscriminate and 

unauthorized use of the images of players, talents and other football 

“properties, logos and trademarks. 

“ 

@thesparkng 

9



Freestyle 

The Nigerian 

Jersey 

For me personally, 

researching this 

project introduced me 

to Naija hip hop and 

“now I am obsessed! 

“ 

Meet Dan Farron, the designer behind the viral Nigerian Jersey 

which sold out after 3 million pre-orders. 

- By Toyin Eleniyan 

Q - 

Tell us a little about your background and how you joined the 

Nike team in capacity of the design director? 

A - 

Q - 

A - 

Q - 

A - 

Q - 

A - 

Originally from Southeast London, I studied Fashion Design at 

University, specializing in Sportswear during my final year. My 

first professional work in design after finishing my studies was at 

Umbro, where I had the opportunity to work in multiple fields, 

from performance to sportswear. Living in the Northwest of 

England gave me a deep insight and immersion into football 

culture. From there I moved to Nike Golf in Portland Oregon, 

but Football remained one of my passions, and I joined the Nike 

Football design team in Amsterdam. In 2015, I moved back to 

the Nike Headquarters to the position of Design Director, Nike 

Football. As a sport, Football is hugely enticing due to the speed 

of change and evolution within the sport, plus the sheer global 

reach; these make for an exciting working environment. 

What was your brief when designing the Nigeria kit? 

The Nigeria kit was briefed as a collection. A group of designers 

from graphics, product and footwear worked collaboratively and 

built a concept that breathes culture and performance. The onpitch 

kit will always be the ‘shining star’; but the beauty of Naija 

was the full collection with all the additional pieces. We really 

wanted to take the Naija culture to an international audience, so 

that it was visible not just within Nigeria itself, but on a platform 

for all football fans worldwide. 

Where did you draw inspiration? 

The team drew inspiration from multiple sources; for the overall 

concept, we were inspired by the fusion of music, fashion, art and 

sport across the globe amongst Nigerians. The more research 

we undertook, the more we saw the links between athlete and 

artists: they are all connected in some way and inspired by each 

other. For the kit, we were inspired by Nigeria and Nike’s kit 

from 1994 - a special era for football kits - as well as a bold 

graphic inspired by eagle feathers. The home kit has to be a 

strong identity for the players and especially the fans, whilst the 

away kit is a stealth/smart design for the modern-day player; and 

there is great overall harmony between the two. 

Kindly talk us through the design process 

At Nike, everything starts with the athletes; we started to build 

this performance product in 2015 based on player insights from 

across the globe. We are constantly driving new innovation to 

Q - 

A - 

keep improving performance levels, even before we approach 

and consider team aesthetics. The next stage is to create a 

concept or story that ties to the football federation and fan 

culture, a critical step that involves deep research into both 

aspects. The designs for the collection are reviewed internally 

by football and design leadership before we present to the 

federation and players for their comments and contributions. 

This design process allows us to really push the boundaries of 

design so that we can take Nike football into a new era. 

The response to the Nigerian kit has been unprecedented, 

was this something you anticipated? 

If I am honest, the answer is both yes and no. At every stage of 

designing and producing this collection, I have been amazed 

and delighted by the broader reactions; but I also knew we 

were creating something incredibly special. Initial presentations 

to players and the federation in November 2016 produced an 

amazing reaction. Nike put together the launch of a lifetime 

this February, adding Naija to the long list of innovation and 

collections for Russia and beyond. Since then, the public 

reaction has been incredible and the team is truly humbled by 

the outpouring of love for this collection. 

10 

@thesparkng



A - 

Naija came as we worked with athletes and looked into Nigerian 

culture. Naija felt more descriptive of a culture within a nation. 

It instantly resonated as a youthful approach to wrapping the 

collection up. Both Nike and the federation agreed it was a great 

moment to call out this new generation and exciting future. 

Q - 

In addition to the jerseys and training kits, there are off the 

pitch pieces too. What informed this decision to create a 

wider encompassing collection? 

A- 

Q - 

A - 

Football culture is in a special place right now. It’s not just about 

the jerseys but about multiple fans and followers looking for 

diverse football expressions of their teams. Fashion and street 

wear are critical parts of this cultural shift, never before have the 

lines between performance and lifestyle been so blurred. That’s 

why everything outside the 90 minutes has to drive this point 

of view for athletes and fans. Players always get a full wardrobe 

for every tournament, so as we broke that down into looks, we 

wanted to make sure every look defined the moment and was 

something that these guys would love to wear. 

You undoubtedly would have had to research Nigerian 

culture and footballers, what were the most memorable and 

interesting finds? 

Nigerian confidence was a key theme as we worked with 

footballers and fans throughout our research, but it was definitely 

balanced with a humbleness. The players were fantastic at giving 

feedback and instrumental in the final result you see on and off 

pitch. Iwobi and Iheanacho were great when we revealed the 

collection - they got straight into how they will wear the looks, 

especially which sneakers they would combine with the travel 

tracksuit. For me personally, researching this project introduced 

me to Naija hip hop and now I am obsessed! I listened to it 

throughout the process and now it transforms me to the key 

moments of the collection coming together every time I hear 

certain songs. 

Q - 

Aside from your own creativity, who and what were the most 

influential factors in the design process? 

Q - 

When thinking about Nigeria, what does Nigeria invoke in 

you, what first comes to mind? 

A - 

The entire team we put together for the project was incredible, 

demonstrating diverse skill sets that made this collection so 

special. They challenged design boundaries to give the federation 

something completely fresh. At every stage, we pushed the looks 

and design as hard as we could to drive the youthful essence. 

Like everything at Nike, it was a team effort and every person 

involved made significant contributions. 

A - 

Q - 

There were 3 Nigerian qualities that drove this collection to 

fruition, and the first of these is ‘Supreme Confidence’. I have 

never known a nation so confident in their team no matter 

the stage or opposition; it is incredibly infectious and during 

qualification I found myself pushing this confidence to my design 

colleagues. 

Secondly, the ‘Youthful Squad’: it’s a special time for Nigeria with 

lots of exciting young players honing their skills all over the world 

in the best football leagues. As well as on-pitch talent, they also 

connect so well and seem to be enjoying life, football and being 

together at training camp. When you work with the team or see 

them together, they are friends. It’s a genuine ‘crew’. 

The third and final thing that comes to mind is ‘A True Football 

Nation’, with a tradition and history within the game, and a great 

connection with Nike and our ethos. 

What influenced your decision to include the transcribed 

word “Naija” on the collection? 

Q - 

A - 

Q - 

A - 

Did you anticipate the frenzy that accompanied the sales of 

the Nigerian kit in particular? 

I have been travelling with one of the graphic designers for Naija 

over the last few weeks and the morning of the launch we landed 

in London. I didn’t expect to see the queues outside stores, that 

was pretty mind blowing and we’re all tremendously honoured 

that the work has been received so positively! 

Lastly, considering the current squad and form of the Super 

Eagles, what are your predictions? 

A: The squad is fantastic and I have been following them closely, 

watching every match in qualification and the recent friendlies - 

they are playing really exciting football. As the tournament starts 

I’m sure my newly found ‘Naija’ confidence will kick in and I’m 

definitely excited to watch the Super Eagles play! 

@thesparkng 

11



Sports Photojournalism 

Olusegun Aderinto (@supaShegs.Sports) is a 30 year old Sports 

Photograher and graduate of Architecture from Yaba College of 

Technology. In this expose, he shares his work and love for his art. 


Olusegun Aderinto has been a photographer for more than 5 years 

now and ventured into sports photojournalism about 3 years ago. 

According to him, the journey hasn’t been smooth. He got access to 

an entry level sport equipment and reached out to leaders in the industry, 

like Ganiyu Yusuf, Segun Ogunfeyintimi, Kabiru Abubakar and Ademola 

Bamigbelu who have been guiding him. 

Olusegun covers all sports in the country, with his personal preference 

being football being that it’s the most popular sport in Nigeria. As he 

stated, there aren’t many sports photographers in the country which 

is probably due to the fact that the profession isn’t yet a very lucrative 

profession at the moment. This allows him create a balance between 

different sports and document any team with the same zeal, be it the 

national team or street kids. He has no preferences in that regard. 

He believes sports photography takes the game to the people, letting 

them see those views they won’t see on television. “We freeze those 

favourite moments for them and they can keep it as long as they want to. 

They keep asking for more,” He states. 

Olusegun is inspired by the works of Photographers such as Peter Read 

Miller, Lars Baron, Jeff Cohen, Ganiyu Yusuf and Kabiru Abubakar. This 

inspiration also allows him create iconic shots that boost his confidence, 

such as his shot of Victor Moses when he scored an opening against 

Algeria in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, for the Russia world cup qualifiers. 

Olusegun is able to monetize his work through sport bloggers and 

websites. He believes that if he could go back in time to the beginning of 

his career, with the knowledge he has now, he would do a lot of marketing 

and personal projects. 

“Grace and passion has distinguished me, the ability to keep going even 

when it’s tight and rough,” stated Olusegun. He further advises aspiring 

sports photojournalists to be passionate, keep practicing and pray. 

12 

@thesparkng



The Spark Profiles AyoOluwa Nihinlola Elisha 

– An Illustrator 

AyoOluwa is the creator of the cover illustration of this month’s magazine. He is currently the Design head at 

Gamsole (one of Africa’s biggest gaming start-up), in charge of Illustration, animation, UX designs and motion 

graphics for the company, also doubles as the creative director at E5 Studioz. 

- By Ayandola Ayanleke 

AyoOluwa Nihinlola Elisha (@ayooluwaelisha), also known 

as AY, is a Graphics Artist, Illustrator, and Digital Art 

Enthusiast. 

“In the early days, I did much as I could to learn – sleepless 

nights, working part-time, hours in cybercafés watching tutorial 

videos – to learn the basics of computer graphics. I joined the 

Facebook craze around this period which gave me an early 

encounter with some awesome Nigerian Digital Artists like 

Alagbe Adegbola, Matthias Aragbada (Dudutoonz), James Alabi 

(Abinibi), Tola Alabi, Jydekris Okonkwo, and few others.” 

“I spent hours studying the designs of these folks and many 

others, trying to figure out the software and techniques they 

employed to achieve their designs. All these started to pay 

off when people started responding to designs I posted on 

Facebook. Approval also came from friends and family and later, 

from other members of the design community who were ready 

to comment, commend and critique my works. All these helped 

forged my design and career path.” 

“I have always had passion for art,” AyoOluwa says. “This passion 

is what led to my choice of study at the University, but I was 

fortunate enough to be exposed to the computer system at a 

really early age (around 6-7 years). I was really fascinated by 

how the system worked and more amazed when I came across 

software like PowerPoint and CorelDraw. So, with my passion 

for arts and the discovery of these different digital software 

packages, I knew this was what I definitively would love to do for 

the rest of my life.” 

“I went ahead to study Fine and Applied Arts at Obafemi 

Awolowo University, majoring in Graphic Designs. I also studied 

at Ile-Ife and later went for a one-year program in 3D Animation 

and Game Design at The Open Window Institute for Arts and 

Digital Sciences, Pretoria, South Africa.” 

The Yoruba culture inspires his art. “I take a lot of inspiration 

from the Nigerian culture, Yoruba culture to be specific, and 

it has a great influence on my work. My early childhood was 

spent in Oyo town, Oyo State, and it gave me access to some 

understanding of the Yoruba culture.” 

“Growing up I also had access to very good pieces of Yoruba 

literature like Ògbójú Ọdẹ nínú Igbó Irúnmalẹ̀ by Daniel O. 

Fagunwa and the Alawiye books. These really inspired me a lot, 

and I have always imagined them animated or illustrated.” 

“I also take inspiration from Nigerian proverbs and folklore; I 

think they are some of the most intelligent sources of content.” 

@thesparkng 

13



See below some of AyoOluwa’s projects 

Nollywood Legends 

Nollywood legends is a book designed to 

immortalize and project the legacies 

of some selected Nigerian Actors and 

Actresses. The book is illustrated in 

cartooned sequences of each of these 

characters beautifully niched and 

portrayed in their cultural context; which 

also entails a brief history and influence of 

the characters. 

Naija’s Tech Revolutionaries 

Naija’s Tech Revolutionaries Project is 

aimed to celebrate individuals that 

have inspired young men and women 

across Nigeria to strive towards building 

successful tech solutions, in spite of 

the Nigerian challenges. Some of these 

solutions have attracted foreign attention 

and in some cases, investments. The 

project was published in partnership with 

Techpoint.ng. 

The objective is also to give a clearer 

narrative about these individuals and 

their contributions to the Nigerian Tech 

space which I hope inspires the younger 

generations about the positive impact 

and possibilities in Technology space in 

Nigeria. 

Submit your works to be selected for FreestyleX. For submissions, see page 33. 

To see more art works, you can visit the Freestyle category on our website. 

14 

@thesparkng



Vital Signs 

Brace Up 

Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar joined the Super Eagles as 

team physician since August 2010, a position which 

he currently holds. He has encountered several 

emergencies, including cardiac arrest on the pitch. In 

this article, he shares on the importance of exercise, 

using real life experiences as case studies. 

- By Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar 

I 

started working with the Nigerian Football as far back as 2005 

when I was team doctor to U20 male team to the FIFA U20 

World Cup, which we played in the finals in 2005 with Samson 

Siasia as the coach. It may interest you to know that I was born 

and bred in Jos, though my parents were from Kano state. 

During my childhood days, I was an ardent supporter of football 

and I played football at school and street level. I even attended 

the same primary school with the current captain of the Super 

Eagles, John Obi Mikel. 

I have always loved football and wanted to play. As fate would 

have it that I could not, I eventually joined after completing my 

service and working with the emergency department of Aminu 

Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano. I then got an offer to work with 

the Federal Ministry of Sports, at the Sports medicine unit back 

in 2002 and that is where the story began. Eventually, 

I was posted to the football team. 

I believe it was destiny because playing 

football was something I wanted 

to do but because I wanted to 

pursue education, I couldn’t play 

professionally, at that level. So 

destiny took me back to football 

through the Federal Ministry of 

Sports. 

As the team doctor, I am 

responsible for the wide-range 

of health issues, including 

players’ health, their nutrition, 

and medication. I advise the 

players, making sure they take 

proper health decisions. 

Sports and exercise medicine is a new specialization of medicine 

and so, it is not quite attainable in most countries. Even in 

Nigeria, we do not have any institution or hospital training in 

this field. One of the challenges with the uniqueness is that you 

must know what you are doing because whatever you do is 

subject to public discuss, and you are dealing with players who 

are known at the highest level and who will be overseen by other 

well-trained sport and exercise physicians and specialists. So it 

is a field that you must know what you are doing right from the 

word go. 

I have seen a lot of players and emergencies in my career. But of 

all the things I have come across, one of the highlights is saving 

someone’s life; resuscitating somebody who had a cardiac arrest 

in football. As part of our job in the sports medicine department 

of the federal ministry, we offer medical services to Nigerian 

referees when they do the annual referee screening. And it is a 

rigorous event. It involves a lot of running, and those who are at 

risk of cardiac issues may have sudden cardiac arrest, which may 

lead to death. 

I was on the touchline in one of these screening exercises and a 

referee collapsed. Good thing is I was around to help in making 

sure the athlete was resuscitated. He is still alive, but is no longer 

a practicing referee based on our advice. 

Therefore, for the average Nigerian who needs to stay healthy, 

exercise is life; it is very important. There are so many 

recommendations which have been instituted in several 

countries, in order to maintain a normal healthy lifestyle. These 

are a few: 

1. Exercise for at least two and a half hours weekly. It can be 

shared throughout the week. Exercise can be as simple as 

taking a brisk walk, cycling, or swimming for 30 minutes a 

day. 

2. Do resistant exercises like lifting dumb bells 15 times, thrice 

a week and/or press ups. 

3. Eat a balanced diet. 

4. Refrain from smoking or too much alcohol. 

Studies have shown that engaging in physical 

activities increases mortality, life expectancy, 

quality of life and reduces the risk of getting 

diabetes, hypertension, cancer and other 

diseases. So it is important to have 

exercise and live a healthy lifestyle. 

For those interested in sport and 

exercise medicine, studies can be 

furthered abroad, especially in the 

UK and other countries. What we 

have here in Nigeria are students 

coming to the sport medicine centre 

at the federal ministry for clinical 

attachments, especially students from 

UI and OAU. 

I also work with other physicians, 

including the physiotherapists and 

massage therapists in order to make sure that 

the player’s health is optimal. And at the end, my 

colleagues and I are responsible for taking decisions on players; 

whether a player is fit to play or not. I also intercede between 

these players and their clubs, especially those playing outside 

the country, in terms of their welfare and well-being. 

More on mental health? Send us your questions. See page 33 

“ 

I was on the touchline in 

one of these screening 

exercises and a referee 

collapsed. Good thing is 

I was around to help in 

making sure the athlete 

was resuscitated. 

“ 

@thesparkng 

15



Balance for Peak Performance 

Most people would love to be rated as best in their field of work, but only a few understand the effects of balance 

in producing excellent work. This article covers the basics you need to know to experience life to its fullest and 

produce your best work every day. 

- By Olu Ogunlela 

“Is everyone destined for greatness? Can we all become the 

next Mark Zuckerberg? Do you have the potential for 

extraordinary achievement?” I have asked myself these 

questions countless times. My curiosity led me on a reading 

adventure and study of thought leaders. An articulate answer to 

the question was so important because I wanted to be assured 

that the journey, pains, sweat, tears and sacrifice required for 

greatness would be worth it. 

After many years of study and personal development, I got my 

answer in different forms and concluded, “Yes, we all have equal 

potential for greatness and discovering your greatness requires 

that you seek to find it.” The parable of the sower was one story 

which made me realize that the potential for a tree lies within the 

seed, but what determines growth is the external environment 

and circumstances in which a seed finds itself. 

Fortunately, humans are not seeds or trees, we can move and 

change our situation to increase the chances of achieving our full 

potential. Therefore, it is worthy to note that “You are like a seed 

and the potential to be great lies within you.” 

There are so many reasons why many of us do not perform at our 

full potential and produce the best work. They include: lack of 

goal setting, lack of drive and ambition, unfavourable early stage 

growth environment, uninspiring inner circle (top 5 friends), lack 

of purpose, etc. For the sake of this article, I will focus on the 

reasons that arise due to imbalance, which are; stress, anxiety, 

depression, unhappiness, procrastination, distractions and low 

energy levels. 

To increase the chances of fulfilling our deepest potential, we 

need to truly understand the concept of balance in relation to 

peak performance as simplified below: 

Energy In = Energy Out 

“ 

Improving balance and achieving 

peak performance in work and 

life requires discipline and is quite 

challenging, especially if you live in a 

city like Lagos. 

“ 

16 

@thesparkng



The equation above means life activities produce energy (Energy In) and 

work activities use the produced energy (Energy Out). It can also be 

expressed as ‘Life = Work’, and this refers to Work-Life Balance. For 

instance: 

• A car with more than enough fuel will definitely get to its destination, 

meaning ‘Energy In’ is greater than ‘Energy Out’ (Energy In > Energy 

Out). 

• A car without enough fuel is less likely to get to its destination, 

meaning ‘Energy In’ is less than ‘Energy Out’ (Energy In < Energy 

Out). 

Using this analogy on humans, we begin to experience stress, anxiety, 

depression, dissatisfaction, illness and the likes, when our ‘fuel’ level is 

low. These are symptoms of an imbalance between work and life activities 

and if the ‘fuel’ gets depleted, we will be unable to reach our destination. 

Improving balance and achieving peak performance in work and life 

requires discipline and is quite challenging, especially if you live in a city 

like Lagos. The average employee working in Lagos can spend up to 5 

hours in traffic every weekday - that’s enough to leave anyone drained! 

To combat this reality, first and foremost you need to understand your 

sources of energy. The emphasis on ‘your’ sources is important because it 

varies for every individual. 

These energy sources may be found in one or more of the ten facets of life: 

1. Physical 

2. Spiritual 

3. Personal Development 

4. Career Development 

5. Work & Business 

6. Building Relationship 

7. Finance 

8. Romance 

9. Community 

10. Fun & Adventure 

For example, physical exercise is a great way to harness positive energy. 

Building relationships with like-minded individuals is another way to 

recharge energy levels. Many people find travelling to be an activity which 

relaxes and has a rejuvenating effect. The bottom line is that you should 

be spending time on activities which energize you on a regular basis, so 

you have enough energy to produce your best work, while experiencing 

balance. To ensure that I don’t leave this important task to chance, I use a 

time tracking tool I invented to track time spent in each facet of life and it 

enables me to reflect and review my activities, in order to make changes 

when necessary and consequently live my best life daily. 

Basically, living life the best way you can entails finding balance and finding 

balance involves making conscious decision to fill your fuel tank regularly, 

so you don’t breakdown. 

His excellency, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Startup Entrepreneur, Olu Ogunlela discussing about Kairos Krunch, a 

time tracking software during the #VPTourofTech. 


@thesparkng 

17



Recreation in Sports 

In an era of extreme workplace stress, constant traffic and environmental pollution, inactive lifestyle as well as 

challenges of raising a family in a bustling African city like Lagos, recreation becomes an absolute necessity to 

provide that much needed balance for relaxation and social development. 

- By Moyo Ogunseinde 

As an Architect/Developer as well as a gymnastics mom, I 

came to realise the powerful effect of having a purposebuilt 

space where children, parents and friends could come 

together in the pursuit of various physical activities that enhance 

their lifestyle. The “need to do something for recreation” is a 

fundamental element of human biology and psychology and 

without it, life certainly starts to lack meaning and pleasure, 

leading to an overall decline in well-being. 

When you bond with friends, co-workers, and family over a 

dodge ball or a football game, it comes with a myriad of benefits. 

This type of recreation increases feelings of well-being, decreases 

stress, blood pressure and incidents of life-threatening diseases 

and reduced truancy amongst the youth. A recent study showed 

that creating and promoting spaces to be physically active 

will improve individual and community health and result in an 

increase of residents who exercise at least three times per week 

with potential future sports champions being identified as well. 

These activities allow families to uniquely experience a more 

fulfilling life thus creating a whole generation of Children and a 

powerful vehicle for positive change in West Africa’s communities. 

We truly believe every African child has a right to live an ‘upbeat Life’ 

that’s well-balanced and through our guidance and mentorship, 

their dreams can be realized, improving the lives of communities 

that they live in, now and in the future. 

So at Upbeat, we essentially aim to be a light house or beacon – 

shining the torch on social responsibility, whilst educating our 

community about health, nutrition, physical activity, mental health 

and general wellbeing. Without a doubt, I would say we need more 

Upbeat Spaces all over Nigeria and not only in Lagos, to truly foster 

a lasting culture of health and wellbeing. 

This is where a recreation centre such as ours, Upbeat recreation 

centre comes in. The Upbeat vision is to change the name of 

the game in recreational spaces, it is our imperative. As West 

Africa’s first Trampoline and recreation centre, we have been 

set up to provide this alternative lifestyle space that would 

positively impact and enhance the lives of families, children and 

communities in Africa. Essentially, we are filling the gap in the 

community for world class ground-breaking, fun and fitness 

sports centres that would engender fun, energy, innovation, 

excellence and safety with the brand values. 

Imagine a community where a family, a work team, a group of 

friends can go destress, work up a sweat, and create indelible 

memories, with the added bonus of creating long lasting 

impression and true appreciation for the relationships and time 

spent together in a high performance world class facility. We 

have been able to provide the community a sense of belonging, 

pride and cohesion; creating opportunities for gatherings that 

go beyond age, gender and ability, thus adding value to the 

Lagos recreational space while thankfully, also exceeding our 

investments and revenue projections as envisioned during 

project feasibility. 

In line with Lagos States mandate ‘to provide enduring 

infrastructural architecture that would ensure that the State’s 

tourism potentials are fully harnessed for all round economic 

growth and development’, Upbeat also serves as a viable 

tourist attraction for the state, given its wide range of awesome 

activities which include toddler time jumps, to group exercise, 

football and basketball leagues, trampoline free play, and wall 

climbing, Crazy karts etc. 


18 

@thesparkng



At The Bridge 

Depression is real and like all other illnesses, should not be 

kept under wraps but treated. 

- By Chisom Martin Ojukwu 

110km/h. That’s was the speed I was on that night, on Eko 

Bridge. Time was somewhere between 23:30 HRS and 

midnight, and I was going from Victoria Island to Surulere – 

a daily ritual. You know what else was a ritual? The lateness of the 

hour, the tiredness in my bones slowly seeping into my eyelids, 

and the heaviness in my heart. I was fatigued, in body and soul. I 

worked so hard, every day, at a job I didn’t like. I knew the things I 

wanted to do – to write, to speak, to act, to sing, to dance … to be 

free. But I couldn’t do those because they weren’t as financially 

secure as the 9 to 5. They were not ‘stable’. 

Sound familiar? 

Somewhere on that stretch, between the CMS by-pass and the 

Apongbon tar valley, the twinkling of an oil vessel moored on 

the water caught my eye. It was lit up from bow to stern, top 

to bottom. The water all around it was serene; a calm liquid 

darkness that blended strangely with the ship’s lights. The whole 

picture was warm and beautiful, seductive, different from how I 

felt on the inside. 

That was when it happened. When the thought crossed my mind: 

“what if I drive over?” 

Suddenly the railings didn’t seem like much of a barrier, the 

vastness of the water drew closer and if I reached out, I might 

have touched it. I could almost feel the splashes on my face, cool 

and soothing. What if…? 

Then I snapped out of it. It was a fleeting thought, gone just as 

fast as it came. But it had happened. 

Sound familiar? 

Maybe it wasn’t a bridge and an alluring expanse of water. For 

you, it might have been a glittering knife, a bottle of swirling 

otapiapia, or the floor from a balcony 8 floors up. According to 

the US News & World Report, there are 9.3 million young people, 

like you and I, who have been depressed and entertained suicidal 

thoughts in the past year. In a research that spanned across 

all age groups, one common denominator was found in all 

affected people – stress. While I agree that this is nowhere near 

exhaustive, it’s good enough to pass, so we can focus, in this 

article, on what to do when you find yourself at such a bridge. 

What do you do when you’re depressed and having suicidal 

thoughts? 

First of all … go down low. No seriously, go down low … duck out 

of the way of all the stereotypes about depression. Depression is 

a curse? Duck. Suicide, even the most fleeting contemplation of 

it, is not an African thing? Duck. Strong (wo)men don’t choose to 

be depressed? Duck! Let them all fly above your head and land in 

the nearest pile of biodegradables. Because they’re balderdash, 

that’s why. 

“It is a common and serious mood disorder that alters how 

individuals think, feel, and behave. The symptoms can include 

feelings of hopelessness, rejection, poor concentration, lack 

of energy, sleep problems, and sometimes suicidal thoughts. 

Depression is not a choice; it is an illness.” 

– Psychology Today (2017). 

And last time I checked, it was perfectly normal to be ill. 

Second thing you could do, having accepted that those thoughts 

are merely symptoms of an illness, is do something. Of course, 

first choice for me would be to seek professional help. That is, 

speak to a psychologist, schedule counselling appointments, 

and attend them. Unfortunately many of us would balk at this 

option. Because ‘psychia’ is for mad people, and God forbid we 

be spotted there; the damage it would do to our reputation! 

*shudder* 

So there are other options, and they range from the mild – e.g. 

go out in the sun, call up friends, do something fun, join an online 

support group, attend master classes, pray – to the extreme – e.g. 

quit that job you hate, leave that abusive spouse. My personal 

favorite however, is making someone else happy. There are 

tons of researched data explaining how acts of kindness release 

hormones that alleviate depression but perhaps the most 

convincing proof is not on any of those sites or study papers. It’s 

in your heart. The warm rush you feel when you do something 

@thesparkng 

19



that cracks a smile on a hitherto hurting or sad face. The feeling makes 

you wonder if your kindness is sincere. Because sometimes you’re even 

happier than the recipient of the kind acts. 

So, try it. 

The third, at the risk of sounding cliché, is practicing gratitude. Let’s forget 

spiritual and moral theories around this for a minute. My GPS can’t direct 

me to my preferred destination if I have inserted a wrong current location, 

or no current location. 

It’s the same thing with gratitude; it’s difficult to win more without 

acknowledging your current haul. So one way to shake off those voices 

whispering, “You’re never good enough, just end it”, is to think about the 

things you’re grateful for. And express thanks for them. 

Of course there are many other paths available for whenever you find 

yourself at this bridge, but these three, I personally recommend. Pick one, 

combine two or take all three, you choose. 

For me, I made a cocktail of all three. And let’s just say that the next time I 

drove 110km/h on Eko Bridge in the middle of the night, I had the windows 

wound all the way down. The sea breeze danced on my face. I drank in the 

beautiful picture of water, dark sky and twinkling lights. And I didn’t think 

of driving off. 

“ 

According to the US News & World 

Report, there are 9.3 million young 

people, like you and I, who have been 

depressed and entertained suicidal 

thoughts in the past year. 

“ 


20 

@thesparkng



Go For Gold 

Abu Azeez 

Going for Gold 

Abu Bolaji Azeez is a Nigerian Super Sand football player, who 

took to playing football on the streets of Lagos at age 7 and 

afterwards, started playing professionally after being discovered 

by Julius Berger in 2008. He is known as Nigeria’s all time 

highest goal scorer in beach soccer. In this exclusive interview, 

he shares his journey with us showing how he’s been able to 

experience career success so far. 

“ 

Sports has really 

empowered me. 

If not for football, 

I don’t think I 

would have left 

the shores of this 

country. 

“ 


Q: What was it like when you first got started? Did you face objections, 

oppositions? How did you start? 

A: I faced a lot of issues when I joined the team because at that period, I 

was the youngest and smallest player on the team. 90 percent of the 

players on the team played for Enyimba, Kano Pillars, and other big teams 

in the Nigerian league. Back then, I wasn’t even playing the league at all, 

so I was new to everything and they were players that I couldn’t even look 

straight in the eye. So it wasn’t easy fitting in. 

But thank God I scaled through. I had a few players that I was comfortable 

with, like isiaka Olawale and Igbenebu Ikechukwu (mosquito). That was 

just my escape route. 

Q: You are the highest ranked beach soccer player in Nigeria. Kindly 

share some strategies that would be useful for budding beach soccer 

players? 

A: For some time now, I have been one of the most famous beach soccer 

players in Nigeria. But it hasn’t be a very easy task for me. I try as much as 

possible to get knowledge from players I’m close to and add to my own 

personal knowledge. I also surf the internet a lot to learn from foreign 

players as well. 

A: As an athlete, celebrating little milestones helps build confidence. Share 

some of the milestones you hit early on in your career that gave you the 

confidence to continue. 

A: The match against Brazil in 2011, right here in Lagos was one of the 

biggest matches I played as a beach soccer player. At that time, Brazil was 

the defending champion and the best team in beach soccer. We were to 

play against them in the final match and we had a lot of promises coming 

our way if we won against Brazil. Luckily for me, immediately we started 

the match, I scored in the first half. By the grace of God, that match ended 

with 9-4 against Brazil, and I scored 5 out of the 9 goals. That really gave 

me the confidence and belief that I can get to the highest level in beach 

soccer. That has made me train harder whenever there is a tournament so 

I can be consistent. 

Q: A lot of Nigerians believe that big breaks are simply strokes of 

luck. You must have had some big break as well. Share with us. 

A: Asides hardwork, I think I have been very lucky because there are a lot 

of tournaments we have gone to where I ended up scoring the most 

goals, whether or not I played in the first match. For example, there was a 

tournament we played in South Africa and I was the highest goal scorer, 

not because I was the best because our team didn’t even come first or 

second. 

Q: What mistakes do you see upcoming beach soccer players make 

that seem to take a toll on their careers? 

A: In football, you can lose concentration for one second and your team 

mate will cover up for you but in beach soccer, losing concentration in just 

a second can damage the team play for that game. 

You also need to be very fit, tactically and technically disciplined. Also, 

when most players start playing for big leagues, they stop doing research 

to keep themselves updated about the sport, so continuous learning from 

experts is important. One mistake many up and coming beach soccer 

players make is that they think beach soccer is 100% similar to the normal 

grass football. It’s not. 

Q: How has sports been a source of empowerment to you? 

A: Sports has really empowered me. If not for football, I don’t think I would 

have left the shores of this country. But now, I have gotten a little fame, 

to the level where I am recognised in the world of beach soccer as one 

of the 50 best players in the world and I have even played at the beach 

soccer world cup. I have gotten to a level where I can look back and say 

I have tried. I have not gotten to where I want to be but sports has really 

empowered me. I’m really proud of it and myself. 

Q: How are you empowering other young players to the possibility of 

beach soccer? 

A: Empowering up and coming beach soccer players is a good one for me 

because I came from the street and it would be nice for me to give back 

to the street. Right now, I’m working on various projects and I think very 

soon, I will let the cat out of the bag. I’m working on a beach soccer project 

in my local government. I am also working on my Youtube channel where 

I will post videos of my beach soccer matches, trainings and goals, so 

up and coming players can view and learn more. I also plan on teaching 

beach soccer to primary and secondary school students. I hope they will 

eventually see that not everybody can play the normal grass football; for 

some of us, beach soccer is ideal. 

22 

@thesparkng



William 

Troost-Ekong 


William Troost-Ekong, a 24 year old professional footballer, was 

born in the Netherlands but of Nigerian descent. He is presently 

a professional footballer who plays for the Super Eagles of 

Nigeria. In this interview, William shares his journey to stardom 

with us. 


William played football as a 6 year old boy on his school’s playground with 

his friends in his neighborhood and fell in love with the game. As a young 

boy, becoming a footballer was like a dream. 

He got started playing for his local club and didn’t start playing 

professionally until he was about 14 years old. His first team was SV 

Overbos in the Netherlands; it’s an Aluche team. He also played for 

Stotford, Fullham, and for different teams in Holland and presently plays 

for Bursapor. 

For Willliam, it wasn’t always success, as there have been failures that 

made him doubt himself. People also doubted him and believed he wasn’t 

good enough, but to him, he knew that the most important thing was the 

drive to believe in himself. This eventually helped him overcome obstacles 

and become successful. 

William’s first milestone was signing his first official contract, for his first 

professional game. Afterwards, he hit other milestones including 

participating in his first international cup, winning the Olympics bronze 

medal and then qualifying for the World Cup. 

William believes that sometimes, you have to be lucky to get opportunities. 

However, he also believes that you have to be trained and prepared to 

take up the opportunity and seize the moment. “I think playing football 

with the Super Eagles was my first opportunity. Back then, the Coach, 

Stephen Keshi, called me up. He liked the way I played and told me it was 

my chance to seize the opportunity and I’ve been effective since then,” 

he stated. 

To William, many upcoming footballers see success as very easy; they 

think that other people can do it for them while they stay idle and not 

work hard. That doesn’t work. 

He believes youth empowerment is very important, it’s what the new 

generation needs in order to access certain opportunities, and for him, his 

field has given him a platform. He believes sports has provided for him, 

his family and being that he constantly dreamt of it as a young boy, it has 

given him an opportunity to make a better life for himself. 

He believes the industry can be a source of empowerment to other 

athletes if they can leverage their fanbase, their platforms, media 

opportunities on TV and radio, and interviews to voice their opinions and 

try to make the world a better place, which is very important. 

“I think it is very difficult for some Nigerian youths because they’ve had 

difficult times, sometimes it’s the government and politics, but I think 

if you believe in yourself, a lot of things will fall in place. Some people 

started from nothing and have come very far. We have several people 

like that in the industry,” he stated. William advises that young footballers 

simply need to believe and be relentless in chasing their dreams. 

“ 

“If you believe in yourself, a lot of things will 

fall in place. Some people started from 

nothing and have come very far. We have 

several people like that in the industry.” 

- William Troost-Ekong 

“ 

@thesparkng 

23



Seye Ogunlewe 


Seye Ogunlewe is a Nigerian track and field sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He won the Irish Schools Championships 

in 2009 and 2010. Afterwards, he was encouraged to make it a profession. He believes God gave him the talent and his passion, 

hardwork and pursuit placed him on the career path he’s on now. He was encouraged by his Dad to represent Nigeria and as a 

Nigerian himself, he decided to follow through. This interview reveals Seye’s journey and his perspective on winning 


According to Seye, A lot of us are not fully educated on sports. 

“Sports is actually science and the more you learn, the better you 

become at your craft,” he stated when asked about how upcoming 

athletes can improve. 

Sports As A Source of Empowerment 

“The youth are the voice of Nigeria and our voices need to be heard. 

Nigeria’s population is made up of mostly the young people,” he stated. 

Sports has been a source of empowerment to him because it has given 

him a big platform to voice his opinions and stand up for people who 

ordinarily would not be heard. For other athletes, he believes sports is for 

all and cuts across boundaries. To him, as long as you do well, you can 

change your life and impact your community. 

Getting Started 

“Like studying to be an Accountant or Lawyer, sports require you to study 

the right courses which a lot of universities abroad or online courses offer,” 

he stated. 

He believes that achieving success in the industry requires a lot of 

investment just like capital in a business. There is a lot of money that goes 

into being an athlete, from spikes, coaching fees, supplements, travelling 

to races and track training. Nothing is free! Sports is a viable tool for 

economic growth. It is an important sector which needs heavy investment 

not only from the government but the private sector. They need to work 

hand in hand to grow the industry. 

He further explained that sports roles in general are always high in 

demand. Different sports have different wage structures. For example, a 

football coach would get paid a lot more than an Athletics coach. 

The Solution 

Seye believes that the leaders in the industry should focus on funding the 

sports sector, building facilities and creating a robust system. “Nothing 

can be done overnight but If I were the Minister of Sports, I would ensure 

there is a grant scheme just like the National Lottery in the UK which 

allocates funds to different sectors including sports.” 

“ 

Sports is a viable tool for economic growth. It 

is an important sector which needs heavy 

investment not only from the government but 

the private sector. 

“ 

On Winning 

When asked about challenges in the industry, Seye stated that the country 

doesn’t have enough world class facilities with well run programmes that 

meet global standard as a lot of our athletes need to relocate to improve 

and our federations don’t set long term plans. 

“Nigerian Athletes need financial support, facilities and corporates to back 

them. Like any profession, you work with your talent to get the rewards,” 

he further stated. 

Seye hopes that other brands, asides UBA which has been very supporting, 

will come on board to support the vision of representing Nigeria on a 

global stage and winning medals. 

24 

@thesparkng



Leon Balogun 


Leon Balogun is a German-born Nigerian professional football 

defender who was first called up by Nigeria for a March 2014 

friendly against Mexico. He started playing football at a tender 

age and after several years of progress moved on to play for a 

Premier League club in England. 


Leon is a music lover. In his spare time, he prefers to listen to music, 

read books, play games or hangout with friends. As a child, he was 

very active and talented and played football because most of the boys 

were playing it. However, he didn’t enjoy watching football and was only 

curious about the world cup because he got to see big stars. Although he 

was very good at basketball, his interest in football came up later when he 

was about 10 years old. 

Leon believes that the biggest mistake budding footballers can make is 

impatience and giving up on their dreams. “I think a lot of young players 

want too much too early,” he stated. “They focus on the benefits, instead 

of really working for them. There are players that are gifted and talented, 

so everything falls into their laps, more or less, and they tend to be a bit 

lazier sometimes than players who have to work harder. That is something 

almost every coach told me; hard work always beats talent and I think 

great players or great and successful characters throughout history will 

tell you the same thing as well. So, don’t underestimate work even if you 

are very talented, because it will get you farther”. 

Leon believes that youth empowerment is necessary as it is very important 

to give young people some kind of hope and vision, telling them where 

they can go and what they can achieve in life. 

Leon has always picked and looked up to people like Thierry Henry, 

Muhammed Ali, Mike Tyson, Ronaldinho, etc. For him, he wanted to 

accomplish the same things that they were able to accomplish. In sports, 

especially football, he believes that with hard work and consistent training, 

you get to envision and imagine for yourself what professionals have 

achieved in their careers. In his career, he looks up to Lebron James and 

Christiano Ronaldo - two perfect examples of hard work and dedication. 

He believes it is good to get insight from what other successful people do 

in order to learn from them. 

“As a footballer, I think there are different doors that open up but I think it 

depends a lot on your character,” he stated. “Concerning other aspects 

of sports that footballers can look into, for me, I’m more interested in 

the psychological aspects of sports.” He believes more can be done for 

the players with respect to mental health and self-confidence as there’s 

usually a lot of stress and pressure felt. The industry is vast and some 

might want to be agents, club managers or run their own businesses, but 

it all depends on character. 

Once you reach a certain level, you get to meet certain people and several 

doors open. According to Leon, regardless of the path you take, it is 

always good to have some qualifications because nowadays, you have to 

show people something, so they can see what you have accomplished and 

trust you enough to give you your request. 

@thesparkng 

25



Asisat Oshoala 


Asisat Oshoala is a Nigerian professional footballer who was 

named best player and highest goal scorer at the 2014 FIFA 

U-20 Women’s World Cup. She was also named best player 

and second top goal scorer with the Super Falcons team who 

won the 2014 African Women’s Championship. In this interview, 

Asisat shares her story and her hope for the future. 


Asisat never planned on becoming a professional footballer, but 

along the line, she developed interest in the game, then went for it 

when the opportunity presented itself. 

While in school in Lagos, Asisat also played football and had the 

opportunity of joining the national team. She eventually realised she 

couldn’t do both at the same time and so decided to stop going to school 

in order to play football professionally. 

Getting started was very difficult for her because her parents preferred 

her education to sports. She started playing football in secondary school 

with the boys after school hours. She would eventually get home late and 

get screamed at. However, this didn’t stop her as she played for fun. 

Joining her first football club in Lagos was a big opportunity for Asisat. It 

gave her the opportunity to meet a lot of senior players, and she felt if she 

put in more effort, she could go higher. Afterwards, she decided to move 

from Lagos to a bigger club in Rivers state, “Rivers Angels football club”. 

There she had the opportunity to play more games. 

She eventually had to talk to her parents, telling them about her plans for 

football and how necessary their support was. From Rivers Angels, she 

went on to U20 World Cup which was a big thing for her and her family, 

who had given her the opportunity to pursue her football career and now, 

she is still making them proud. After going for her first World Cup, she felt 

proud of herself and decided pursue professional football full time. 

For female football players in Nigeria, Asisat believes that there has to be 

a players association that handles the welfare of the players. According 

to her, their salaries aren’t regularly paid and it’s not encouraging for the 

younger ones coming up. “I think the board members have to do better 

for the female league in Nigeria in terms of salary and general welfare 

because their standard of living is quite low,” stated Asisat. 

“Keep doing whatever you are doing,” is Asisat’s encouragement to 

budding footballers. “Your dreams are valid. Keep putting effort and you 

will get the right support from people. When starting out, you might not 

get the support you need but eventually, when people see things are 

going well, they will have no choice but to support you. I went through the 

same thing with my parents, but at some point, they had no choice but to 

support me. As a matter of fact, now they pray for me more than I do pray 

for myself when it comes to my career. Stay focused and be respectful to 

those ahead of you because they will lift you up, and that will really go a 

long way for you.” 

26 

@thesparkng



Start Up 

Football 

Academy 101 

Koye Sowemimo is the Head of Sports at The Temple 

Management Company Group, a global full-service Talent 

Agency and Talent & Event Management Company that 

represents talents and manages events across the sports, 

entertainment, arts and public sectors. In this article, he 

provides a guide entrepreneurs in the sports industry can use to 

get started. 

- By Koye Sowemimo 

I 

grew up mainly in the UK but always had my mind set on returning home 

to make a difference within sports & society in general. I’m currently the 

Head of Sports at The Temple Management Company which for me is 

my dream job. Being able to do something you are passionate about is 

part of your purpose in life. My role entails me identifying the very best 

talents in Nigeria and across Africa that we can manage and develop to 

become world beaters not only from a sporting point of view but also for 

them to be seen as global brands in their own rights. 

Start Early 

A career in professional football is one of the most glamorous and 

attractive careers a young person can hope to enter, either after leaving 

school or before finishing school. However, it is not as easy as a lot of 

people think. Your journey needs to start early, as young as 5 years old. 

By the time you are at least between the ages of 14-16, you should already 

be showing promise as an exceptional talent that has caught the eye of an 

academy / national youth team scouts. Unfortunately in Nigeria, we don’t 

have a system for developing young players and that often reflects in how 

long many of our players stay in the game when they do make it as pros. 

The ideal pathway is going from school / youth leagues to centres of 

excellence or academies to senior football (Non-league) and then finally 

onto the pro league. What sets apart one talent from another is the 

dedication and hard work put in. It is more than just regular training, you 

have to be willing to put in your own work as well. 

Eric Harisson (Former Manchester United Youth Coach) said to me once 

that the reason why David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Neville 

Brothers & Nicky Butt (Class of 96) had such flourishing careers was 

because when everyone else left training, they always stayed back to 

practise on their own. So a young footballer needs to bear this in mind. 

Find yourself a structured academy with a good history of developing 

players and be patient as you develop. It is a crucial part of your learning. 

If you start too late in life, you miss out on a lot of the fundamentals. 

Playing Football Is Just One Of Many Opportunities 

Everybody wants to be footballer as the money is lucrative but in football, 

the opportunities are vast. This applies generally across many sports in 

terms of the opportunities. If you don’t make it as a pro or even start 

the journey to becoming a pro but love sports, you could find yourself in 

the administration of sports which is where I started out, working for the 

English FA. 

You get to see a full overview of the different areas you can go into such 

as coaching, referring, welfare, legal, player agent, IT and so much 

more. Coaching in particular is one that is very much overlooked which 

is probably why we don’t have enough coaches in Nigeria even at the 

grassroots level. 

Entrepreneurial Passion Is The Primary Ingredient 

Anyone starting a football academy or club must be passionate. Too many 

people involved in Nigeria think about the money aspect first. “How 

quickly can I sell one player?” Running a football club or academy needs to 

be treated like any other privately owned business. Investment is very key 

and if you can find a financial backer, that would be a good starting point. 

Get Your Structure Right 

A club or academy needs to have top facilities and training programmes 

tailored to the needs of players, emphasising the need to balance the 

@thesparkng 

27



amount of football played with education and welfare support. The types 

of individuals you would find running a club or academy would be: 

• Founder – Chairman (Someone with the vision and drive) 

• CFO – Someone good with accounting (this is critical to the operations) 

• Director of Football (DOF) – Someone that has the strategic plan to 

execute the strategy of the club for a sustained period of time 

• Coaching: 

• Head coach + Assistant – First Team 

• Youth coaches – Youth teams 

• Fitness coach 

• Welfare coach 

• Head Scout – Someone responsible for identifying talents and 

making recommendations to the DOF / Head Coach / Youth Coaches 

• Medical: 

• Dr 

• Physio 

• Nutritionist 

• Facilities Manager 

• Kit Manager 

The good thing is you don’t need to have certifications to run a football 

club, but you will find most of club owners have a background in building 

their own businesses. There are roles within a club that of course requires 

certifications such as coaching, medical roles, welfare and others. 

Unfortunately in Nigeria, we don’t have a structured football body that 

provides enough information about ways of getting into football. 

To bypass this, you can learn a lot from someone else. I learnt about my 

industry mainly from studying Mark McCormack who was the founder of 

the IMG academy. There are a lot of mentors in sports and it really is about 

what you want to achieve. 

Talent Management Is Not Overrated 

To effectively manage resources and control the pride that comes with 

fame, young footballers need a very experienced Management team, not 

a one man shop. What a team provides a footballer with is structure and 

direction knowing that the life-span of a pro can be about 20 years, so it 

is always a question of what next. Your team takes the burden off you by 

providing services around financial Legal aid, PR & Comms management, 

commercial / endorsements. Before you know it, all that money you think 

you have made could be gone without a structure. This is something we 

pride ourselves on at Temple Management. 

28 

@thesparkng



Scoring With World 

Cup Marketing 

The World Cup is here again, and the fever is as 

contagious as ever. Both football enthusiasts and those 

who hardly care, feel the buzz one way or another. 

When football lovers are not in front of a screen 

watching the live show, they spend spare minutes 

getting updated via digital media. For Nigeria in 

particular, the excitement has gone beyond qualifying 

for the games to stealing the fashion show with the 

Nike designed jerseys; showing the versatility of the 

world cup to attract more than just sports lovers. 

- By Toyin Henry-Ajayi 

Whether you run a big or small business, the world cup is 

a grand opportunity to engage your audience and 

promote your products and services. Considering 

FIFA’s marketing guidelines to protect the official partners and 

sponsors, businesses get to be creative with promotion tactics 

without risking a lawsuit with the organization. Here are a few 

tips that can help. 

Use Associated Images, Colors And Messaging 

You are not allowed to use the logo, the exact phrases or 

affiliated trademarks. You should not even have your logo on 

the match schedule. But nothing stops you from playing with the 

words, football themes or using the national colors creatively. In 

2014, Apple deployed a User Generated Content campaign that 

collated their customer’s football related photos all taken on an 

iPhone. You may have also seen Banks use the patterns of the 

Nigerian jersey to create variations of their Debit cards. It’s about 

creating an association in the minds of your audience. 

Know Your Audience And Connect With The Prevalent 

Emotion 

A great example of a brand that does this well is Pepsi Nigeria. 

The ‘Naija all the way’ campaign has almost all Nigerians thinking 

that Pepsi has a deal with FIFA or the Nigerian Super Eagles. 

But even without this, the company has been able to connect 

their marketing efforts with the Nigerian spirit of determination, 

ambition, and possibilities. 

As a smaller company without the budget and clout, you also 

need to understand your audience and know what makes them 

tick. For example, if you are a brand with customers who aren’t 

exactly sports-inclined, how about marketing materials and 

content that focus on the side attractions of the world cup? For 

example, you can talk about the tourism side of the tournament, 

the fashion, travel, the grass to grace stories of the players, the 

music, etc. 

Get Spontaneous With ‘Moment Marketing’ 

Small brands that will win the World Cup marketing game are 

those that can deliver relevant, spontaneous and instant news 

with their audience. Can you make a quick meme that connects 

the major incidents in a game with something your product or 

service does? You can also engage your online audience in realtime 

conversations, especially during the peak games, like the 

Nigerian matches. You should limit the content you share during 

game times while targeting the 15 minutes of half-time when 

people will not be glued to the screen watching the game itself. 

Partnerships 

An example of this is the partnership between Banks and VISA. 

While this may seem far-fetched for a small business, the 

possibility is the same. Find out who the official country 

sponsors are in your country and find ways your business can 

partner with them. For VISA who ordinarily works with other 

commercial financial institutions, it makes sense for Banks to 

create campaigns that ride on the goodwill of VISA’s sponsorship. 

For restaurants and bars, striking a partnership with official 

drink partners of the World Cup or Super Eagles could be an 

advantage as you open your doors for customers to watch the 

match at your location. 

You may still be able to get something going before the end of 

the tournament, or you can start preparing for other global 

competitions. 

Notably, Stand Out 

In 2014, the World Cup viewership was staggering. Over 3.2 

billion people watched the tournament and online, there were 

over 280 million Facebook interactions from 88 million people 

and over 32 million tweets during the final game alone. These 

numbers are enough reason to associate your brand with the 

World Cup, but you also don’t want your communication to 

get lost. Let your content be striking and relevant to your own 

target audience. Time your communication appropriately and 

stay updated with the latest information and happenings from 

Russia. Also, keep an eye out for what other brands are doing. 

The World Cup only comes every four years, make the best of the 

season. Enjoy the games. 

“ 

In 2014, the World Cup viewership was 

staggering. Over 3.2 billion people 

watched the tournament and online, 

there were over 280 million Facebook 

interactions from 88 million people and 

over 32 million tweets during the final 

game alone. 

“ 

@thesparkng 

29



Today At... 

Mayorfit Hub 

To encourage entrepreneurship, we profile young businesses and tell their stories to the world. Here’s a start-up 

feature showcasing and celebrating entrepreneurial endeavours. 

- By Lanre Solarin 

Mayowa Morgan, popularly known as Mayorfit, is the 

founder and the Lead Wellness and Sports Consultant at 

Mayorfit-Hub, a multi-dimensional sporting and fitness 

organization. Mayorfit-Hub is a 5 man team (4 Male Trainers and 

1 Female Trainer) and is dedicated to transforming people’s lives 

from the inside out through personal fitness training, weight loss 

consulting and coaching on the basic rudiments of recreational 

sports and games such as tennis, badminton, swimming, chess, 

and scrabble, amongst others. 

With over 6 years’ experience, Mayowa has worked with various 

organizations such as the University of Lagos Women Society, 

Redeemed Christian Church of God, Legal Department National 

Office, FABE Foundation, Eden Nigeria, Finchglow Travels, 

DreamCity Network of 102.5 Unilag Fm, etc. as a Sports director 

and fitness consultant. Because helping people achieve their 

various health and fitness goals is what he loves doing, he has, 

through his excellent results, gained reputable and highly sort 

after clients who believe in his craft and continues to train and 

refer others to him. 

He’s a very passionate young man with a heart for God and for 

the youth of Nigeria. His organisation was created to fulfil his 

passion of helping people get their desired body and build a 

healthy lifestyle. 

In 2017, Mayorfit Hub planned a fitness dance all program which 

held on 16th December, 2017. It was called XCLUSIVE X-MAS 

AEROBIC DANCE ALL with Mayorfit and Friends. This program 

was planned for just 1 month and was a huge success as they 

received support from various companies and big personalities 

such as Busola Dakolo, Chinonso Arubayi, Lookartme Beauty, 

CEO Magazine of Business Day, MACREMS, Danyatch Wears, 

Accolade Jewelries and Accessories, Home Advantage Africa, 

PEC Events and so on. Due to the success of the event, it was 

transformed into an annual program. 

Mayorfit Hub is located at 13, Makinde Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, 

Lagos State and they can be reached via email: 

mayorfitinternational@gmail.com; @mayorfit and @mayorfithub 

on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or phone: 08180364682, 

08084714913 (WhatsApp). 

You can also participate in any of their sessions at the following 

times (which is very flexible): 

Morning session: 5:30am to 6:30am, 7am to 8am etc. 

Afternoon Session: We are flexible to the client’s availability. 

Evening Session: 6pm to 7pm, 7:30pm to 8:30pm and 9pm to 

10pm. 

Mayorfit Team 

Mayowa Morgan with Clients 

Mayowa Morgan 

Training Session at the gym 

30 

@thesparkng



BrandSpark 

The Soda Wars: 

Coke vs Pepsi 

The World Cup pulls billions of views every 

four years and is arguably the biggest 

sporting event in the world. Footballers, sports 

enthusiasts and fans across the world are 

joined in the drama by brands looking to build 

affinity and upstage all others in the battle 

for audience attention. Coca-Cola and Pepsi 

are two of these brands and probably, the 

most enjoyable participants in the brand wars. 

We look at the marketing tactics they have 

deployed to win the battle for the hearts of 

Nigerians this World Cup season. 

- By Damilola Oyewusi 

If you are not familiar with the brand war between Coke and 

Pepsi, you need to set an hour or two aside after reading this 

article and let YouTube serve you some of the most outrageous 

videos you’d ever see from corporate brands. For centuries, the 

soda showdown between the soft drinks giants has cut across all 

spheres of marketing, from pricing to promotion. They’ve found 

ways to tug at customers’ heartstrings, entertain them, excite 

them and make them exchange currency for their cola drinks. 

This rivalry has been especially interesting to see during the 

World Cup season, with Coke being an official sponsor and Pepsi 

going all out to show that there are other ways to the hearts of 

paying consumers. In 2010, Coca Cola’s ‘Waving Flag’ campaign 

song was challenged by Pepsi’s ‘Oh Africa’, a charity song with 

obvious football references released in January 2010 just before 

the World Cup in South Africa. And in 2014, while Coke deployed 

its “largest marketing programme” ever, Pepsi launched a global 

TV campaign in more than 100 countries, with a digital version 

that viewers could interact with and gain a closer look into the 

streets of Rio de Janeiro. 

The 2018 World Cup campaign started months before the kickoff, 

and if you’ve missed the drama, here’s a taste of what has 

been going down between the two in Nigeria. 

Coca-Cola Nigeria 

In the build-up to the World Cup in Russia, Coca-Cola kicked off 

its campaign with the signature ‘Coca-Cola World Cup trophy 

tour’, starting from the Federal Capital Territory and ending with 

a concert in Lagos. The company, an official sponsor of the FIFA 

World Cup since 1978, gave out free tickets to Nigerians to see 

the coveted trophy. One of the contests was a captivating social 

experiment asking people what they could do to win the ticket. 

The videos showing Nigerians hugging strangers and becoming 

@thesparkng 

31



bus conductors were hilarious and engaging. Next, they gave an 

opportunity for 22 Nigerians to go ‘To Russia with Coke’, using 

the ‘code under bottle cover’ method, a definite way to increase 

sales while driving engagement. 

Coca-Cola also secured official sponsorship of the Super Eagles. 

Riding on this, the company is leveraging its extensive access to 

the team, hosting Instagram Live sessions and releasing a range 

of Super Eagles Coke bottles with a call for Nigerians to ‘Share 

a Coke with our Eagles’. The campaign came with a Television 

Commercial starring the Super Eagle, William Troost-Ekong, and 

tells a great story of the unrelenting spirit of Naija as a young 

Nigerian boy kept searching for a Coke bottle with Ekong’s name 

on it. He finally gets one when he finds Ekong on a training pitch. 

So far, Coca-Cola seems to be milking its sponsorship as much as 

it can. Positioning its soda as the preferred drink of the Super 

Eagles will most likely pay off at the grassroots level as people 

hunt for bottles with an Eagle’s name on it. 

Pepsi Nigeria 

As a non-sponsor, Pepsi went guerrilla with their promotional 

activities, launching a campaign only two weeks to the start of 

the World Cup. Instead of World Cup logos and trademarked 

assets, the company enlisted its retinue of entertainment and 

sports ambassadors, including five key members of the Super 

Eagles and the legendary Jay-Jay Okocha. Without a mention 

of the World Cup or the Super Eagles, Pepsi continued its ethos 

of engaging its audience with a relatable pop culture-themed 

advert. The colors stayed blue, the football references were 

obvious without being amplified, and the chest thumps evoked 

a spirit of patriotism that every Nigeria would relate to as the 

National Anthem get sung before every Nigerian game. 

The campaign was extended with photo cards of the stars and a 

phrase to celebrate the ‘Naija Spirit’. From making local global to 

the making of legends, Wizkid, Jay-Jay Okocha, Tekno and many 

more recognizable faces have shown their support for the Eagles 

without a mention of anything football related. 

To sustain the campaign, the Pepsi team released a meme 

template for Nigerians to generate their own personalized 

card to ‘Rep the Naija Spirit’. This started out with the stars of 

the video showcasing theirs on Instagram, reaching millions 

of Nigerians who are always ready to be a part of a cool trend, 

especially one that celebrates Naija. They have also released a 

series of Emoji’s that can be downloaded on their website, while 

subtly launching special edition bottles with the faces of their 

ambassadors on them. 

In all this, it is noteworthy that Pepsi has not infringed on the 

copyright laws and guidelines set by the world footballing body. 

While these rules were placed to protect the official partners 

and sponsors, they have proven to be bendable by the creative 

genius of non-sponsors like Pepsi. 

Overall, there are absolutely no complaints from the fans and 

football enthusiasts. Both brands have shown that the fight for 

a larger market share goes beyond statistics and the product 

itself to consumer relationships and emotional connections. It is 

marketing at its best and we are here for it. 

Would you rather ‘Share a Coke with our Super Eagles’ or ‘Go 

with Naija all the way’? 

“ 

In 2010, Coca Cola’s ‘Waving Flag’ 

campaign song was challenged by 

Pepsi’s ‘Oh Africa’, a charity song 

with obvious football references 

released in January 2010 just 

before the World Cup in South 

Africa. 

“ 

32 

@thesparkng

What Next? 

The Spark Connect 

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with cash grants, Mentorship and more. Visit 

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> 

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> 

FreestyleX 

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art in our monthly exhibition. Send in your art works (videos, 

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Visit thesparkng.com/freestyle to submit your work of art. 

Submissions are then screened and the artists invited for the 

event. 

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us what you think about brands. Follow us on social 

media - @thesparkng - to participate. 

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signifying your interest.

The Spark Magazine (Jun 2018)

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