Stakeholders Harp on Infrastructure Devt to Boost Nigeria’s Sports Tourism

Entrepreneurs and industry players in the sport and tourism sectors have called for an overhaul of basic infrastructure and sporting facilities towards repositioning Nigeria’s sports tourism subsector to create jobs and as well attract foreign direct investments.

The stakeholders, gathered from different sectors , made the call at the National Football and Tourism Roundtable held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel on Friday in Abuja, with the theme, “Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential: Exploring the Synergy of Sports Tourism and Foreign Direct Investment.”

The roundtable was organised by World Football Exhibition in collaboration Chinese Tourism Promoters Initiative and Emirati Innovative Services to brainstorm on how to harness Nigeria’s rich sport tourism potentials for enhanced contribution to GDP.

According to them, Nigeria sports tourism landscape offers a robust prospect for revenue generation , if enabling environment, in form of infrastructure development and good regulatory framework, was in place.

The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi, said sports tourism and direct foreign investment hold the key to unlocking Nigeria’s economic potential and propelling the country towards sustainable growth and development.

Obi, who was represented by Peter Ameh, Public Affairs Analyst and National Secretary of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) said Nigerians’passion for sport was an indication that sports tourism would flourish if developed.

He said by developing sports tourism infrastructure and hosting international sports events Nigeria can attract foreign investors, who are drawn to countries with a strong reputation for hosting successful events.

“Sports tourism, a rapidly growing industry worldwide, presents a unique opportunity for Nigeria to leverage its passion for sports, particularly football, to attract tourists and generate revenue.

“With a large and enthusiastic fan base, Nigeria can develop sports tourism infrastructure, such as stadiums, training facilities, and sports museums, to host international sports events and attract visitors from around the world.This can create jobs, stimulate local economies, and promote cultural exchange.

“Direct foreign investment (DFI) is another critical driver of economic growth and development. Nigeria has historically struggled to attract significant DFI, due to concerns about corruption, insecurity, and regulatory uncertainty.

“However, By creating a more attractive investment climate, Nigeria can tap into the vast pool of foreign capital, expertise, and technology, to drive economic growth, create jobs, and reduce poverty”,he said.

Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF), said: “When you talk about football and tourism, you are talking of either participation in football or going to watch football;that is what football tourism is all about.
“But you cannot participate in football tourism where the facilities to host these events are not there. When you talk about roads and other infrastructure, as far as football tourism is concerned, it is to talk about the availability of the facilities for people to take part in sports.

“As I am talking to you, the only stadium we have in Nigeria that is FIFA approved is the one in Akwa Ibom State, and We all lost the opportunity to host our events in Nigeria because of the absence of facilities.”

Also, Mr Ezekwesili Nnam,Executive Director, Abuja Trade Center, said Nigeria’s sports tourism sector offers a huge economic opportunities, especially the potential to attract Foreign Direct Investment, but lamented that lack of data and poor state of infrastructure was a major setback.

“Businessmen need answers, so it’s not enough to say you want to talk about attracting foreign direct investments, because we do not have enough and accurate data of the sector.

He added that “Personally, I have had so many businesses structured for our members but when it comes to sports you do not have the data, and the story and the data do not encourage any investor.”

Other stakeolders at the event included Amb. Aisha Yusuf, who represented the Chinese Tourism Promoters, An entrepreneur and public speaker, Nana Kazaure and Mrs Juliana Onyekwere, who represented the FCT Tourism Department, among others.