Nkechi Obi, Chairperson of the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL), has called on the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to reimagine sports not just as a game, but as a thriving business opportunity ripe for growth, engagement, and compelling storytelling.

She noted that sport is a powerful platform for brand building, social impact, and economic growth, and that public relations will play a critical role in marketing this exciting frontier.

She made this known at the NIPR Lagos chapter monthly lecture with the theme: “GAME PLAN: Making Sport Marketable through Public Relations” held at Eko FM Multipurpose Hall, LTV, Agindingbi, Ikeja.

According to the chairperson, who is also the CEO of Sport Nigeria LTD/GTE, public relations in sports is a business, and the sports industry is huge and can be a game-changer for the economy.

“It’s the professional services that form the bedrock of how we will develop this industry successfully.

When we were reviewing our policies, we realized that 13-14 ministries are required to be in the room for sport to develop.

Ministries like information, communication, media, manufacturing, health, education, etc., but all these relevant ministries must gather, and the critical thing is that PR should position itself as a playmaker, not a support act.”

“The kind of sports business that PR has done in the past needs to change – not the old-fashioned way of running around for adverts on TV, designing programs, etc.

A long time ago, some of us decided that there must be more to sports than just qualifying for the Olympics, watching, and it ending there.

That decision is what has brought us to where we are today. So when someone asks me what exactly we do in sport, I tell them we made the change – from seeing sport as just participation to thinking of sport from a business angle.”

Speaking on the huge investment in sports marketing, she said: “Sports = passion, pride, and potential.

But passion alone doesn’t create industries. We need a game plan for visibility, investment, social and economic impact, as well as growth. We need a rethink of how we see sports and how to turn that vision into results.”

“The best football clubs are the ones that use PR to tell their stories. They invest more in public relations and leverage social media to hype their players.

People want to see what players are doing outside the pitch, the kind of activities they do. Sport unites people, and sport is unique – the return you get for your passion as a fan is feelings, because the return is not tangible.

But to get that feeling, you must spend money, and that is how those running the clubs make money. As business people, they look at the numbers, while fans look at the game.”

Sharing insights on public relations strategies that can be deployed by professionals in the business to harness the potential of the sports industry through PR, she said: “Reframe: From ‘entertainment’ to ‘enterprise’; Engage: Investors, government, DFIs, brands; Leverage: Train media to tell sports stories with an economic slant; and Influence: Use PR for policy, investment, and incentives.”

Ms. Nkechi added that Nigeria, as a country, needs to rethink how it sees sports because sports create impact, wealth, generate revenue, and create jobs.

The jobs include construction, manufacturing, media, technology, legal, medicine, etc.

Citing the untapped sports opportunities in Nigeria, she said: “The current industry market size of Nigeria is over 500 billion naira; estimated annual investment required over the next 10 years is $1 billion; estimated annual revenue over the next 10 years is $4 billion; and it will contribute 2-3% to Nigeria’s GDP, create 3-5 million jobs in 10 years, and tap into a 300-500 million African market for goods and services.”

She noted that another challenge is that Nigeria lacks facilities, stadiums, arenas, community centers, etc.

The absence of these facilities hinders revenue generation in sports. According to her, revenue in sports typically comes from the demand for merchandise.

In developed countries, citizens are encouraged to engage in sports activities, creating a demand for kits and driving industry growth.

She urged NIPR professionals not to wait until the ministry is established before getting involved in the business.

“Don’t wait until it’s all done; with the right narrative, PR can drive the business of sport. You know what a compass does, so let’s change the future of sport in Nigeria.”