Sports hidden solution to Nigeria’s youth unemployment- Fashola

Former Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola has issued a clarion call for a total overhaul of Nigeria’s football and sports development framework, describing it as a largely untapped economic engine with the potential to drastically reduce youth unemployment and stimulate national growth.

Delivering the keynote address at the public presentation of veteran sports journalist Mumini Alao’s autobiography at the University of Lagos, the former minister urged policymakers, private sector players, and civil society to “rethink the current football business model in Nigeria” and embrace sports as a strategic pillar of economic development.

The event, held at the Tayo Aderinokun Hall, brought together stakeholders from media, academia, government, and the sporting world to celebrate Alao’s illustrious career and reflect on the broader challenges facing Nigerian sports.

“Why not sports, and why not now?” Fashola who is also an ex-governor of Lagos State, challenged. “Talent is now the most rewarded currency globally — and sports is at the forefront. It is time we stopped treating it as a hobby and started treating it as the billion-naira industry it truly is.”

Citing global examples, he pointed to the English Premier League, which contributes over £3.36 billion to the UK’s GDP and supports 100,000 full-time jobs, as well as Saudi Arabia’s $5 billion annual investment in sports, which has already delivered a 1% GDP growth.

He also highlighted the case of young Nigerian and international athletes earning millions annually, and the extensive job ecosystem surrounding the sports industry — from physiotherapists and nutritionists to producers, journalists, and engineers.

“Nigeria continues to battle youth unemployment while ignoring one of the most obvious solutions — sports,” he said. “This sector has the potential to absorb tens of thousands of our youth and give them meaningful careers,” Fashola added.

The honouree, Mumini Alao, was presented as a prime example of the opportunities available in the wider sports value chain. Through his work in sports journalism — particularly with Complete Sports magazine — Alao has built a career spanning over three decades.

While commending recent progress, such as the early release of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) fixtures, Fashola  outlined a five-point reform strategy to reposition sports in Nigeria which include the integration of sports into national development planning, manpower development, infrastructure and transport integration, security and safety at Sporting Events
Specialized training for crowd management and emergency response must be prioritized to ensure public confidence and attract spectators and governance, regulation, and legal framework
A well-defined sports calendar, backed by new legislation and institutional reform, is necessary to attract investment and ensure transparency.

He further emphasised the need for collaboration across various sectors — including education, law, media, engineering, and security — to implement these reforms.