Nigerian Billionaire, Tony Elumelu, invited Victor Osimhen to dinner at his home. This sparked curiosity among local boys and raised some pointed questions. They wondered if Mr. Elumelu would've invited Victor when he was a street vendor selling pure water at Ojota or still playing on the streets and dump sites of Olusosun? Would Tony have invested in Victor's future then? The answer is N-O!
But today Victor eats and dine with Kings and billionaires because of his hardwork, bravery, dedication and hunger to succeed with his talent on the pitch .
Victor Osimhen led Napoli to win seria A league. He scored 26 goals after 38 match in the season 2022/2023. This makes him the number 1 scorer in the Seria A and most likely to be named African footballer of the year.
For one, this could be a motivation for all the young football players and person's out there. Work hard, stay humble, focused and dedicated to improve your skills. Take your game to the next level and when you succeed, the whole world will come bowing at your feet, people wouldn't have imagined will come close to you.
Success only attract success, you suffer in soiltude if you dare fail and nobody will ever consider that you tried, cos' there is no evidence.
Motivation apart, some of these young footballers from local boards bemoans our billionaires' apathy towards helping young talents with the right trainings and platforms to succeed. Their investment can greatly benefit the football industry.
Nigerian billionaires like Tony Elumelu, Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola won't fund Nigerian football, because at it's present state it doesn't look viable business wise. Yet we must wonder how many more Victor Osimhen are struggling in Nigeria's streets, Lagos slums, or distant remote regions? Despite its abundant football talents, Nigeria hasn't tapped into this huge opportunity in the sports business industry.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation could be a driver to grow Nigeria's football industry, similar to the Saudi Arabia's PIF.
Mr. Elumelu's investment expertise can help boost Nigeria's football industry by attracting more investors. With a wealth of players and a very large fan base, Nigeria has a big market for football that only needs some business guidance to be profitable. Even small changes could make the industry thrive.
Right investments and business expertise will do away the current mediocrity and can transform Nigeria's football industry. We need sport business experts with money, ready to elevate our current standards.
Influential billionaires and business experts, like Tony Elumelu, are the driving forces needed to transform unweldy sports policies, structure and system of operations. They can push for improved policies in legislative houses and encourage governments to create an enabling environment for sports businesses to thrive in Nigeria.
