Experts at the 7th Legal Business Conference have called for a stronger commercial structure, improved investment and effective legal protection to transform Nigeria’s abundant sporting talent into a sustainable sports industry.
The call was made during the second plenary session of the conference, held on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Victoria Island, Lagos. The session, themed “From Talent to Industry: Legal and Commercial Structures Driving Nigeria’s Sports Economy,” examined the frameworks needed to commercialise sporting talent and create sustainable opportunities for athletes, investors, clubs, sponsors and other industry stakeholders.
The discussions covered sports business models, sponsorship, athlete representation, intellectual property, contract negotiations, dispute resolution and the protection of commercial rights.
Speaking on the commercial structures needed to transform sporting talent into a viable business, Davies Telema, a sports business advisory professional, argued that Nigeria had yet to develop a fully functioning sports economy.
He explained that sports had historically been treated largely as recreation rather than as a commercial sector capable of generating jobs, investment and sustainable revenue. Although sports was reclassified as a business sector under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020, he noted that the ecosystem required to support that transition remained incomplete.
Telema stressed that sporting talent could not thrive in isolation, insisting that athletes needed a functional system of development, commercial partnerships and investment to maximise their potential.
Drawing attention to the importance of building sporting products into recognisable brands, he cited Showtime Flag Football in Lagos as an example of a competition working towards developing its identity and commercial appeal.
According to him, profiling athletes and building recognition around competitions can help attract corporate brands, strengthen community engagement and create opportunities for sponsorship and other revenue streams.
He maintained that stakeholders must go beyond organising competitions to identifying the commercial value of athletes and sporting events, developing revenue models and building the partnerships required to sustain the sector.
Another panelist, Anthony Atata speaking from the perspective of sports administration and competition development, agreed that Nigeria’s sports industry faced structural challenges despite the existence of policies intended to address them.
He referenced the Nigerian Sports Industry Policy introduced in 2022, describing it as a significant effort to identify the problems affecting the sector and outline possible solutions.
However, he argued that policy alone would not deliver the desired results without effective implementation and stronger coordination among the different participants in sports.
Atata identified four broad groups within the sports ecosystem: those who play sports, those who consume sporting activities, investors and regulators. In his view, the groups must work together because the growth of one depends on the participation and effectiveness of the others.
He also raised concerns about the heavy dependence of sports on government funding, explaining that this arrangement could limit independence and affect the development of a commercially driven sector.
He called attention to the need for stronger private-sector participation, improved sponsorship arrangements and better collaboration among stakeholders to reduce the pressure on public funding and create a more sustainable industry.
The plenary also examined how intellectual property could help athletes and sports organisations generate revenue beyond their performances on the field.
Rita Anwiri Chindah addressing sports intellectual property highlighted the importance of understanding the commercial value of athletes’ names, images, photographs and other intangible assets.
Using examples involving footballers’ photographs and the unauthorised use of images, the speaker illustrated how a lack of awareness about intellectual property rights could lead to disputes between athletes, photographers, sports organisations and media platforms.
The discussion drew a distinction between sporting rights associated with activity on the field and commercial rights that can generate income outside competition.
The speaker explained that an athlete’s name, image and likeness could be monetised through endorsement arrangements, licensing agreements and other commercial opportunities. However, athletes and their representatives needed to understand the value of those assets and negotiate appropriate terms before entering into agreements.
The contribution also highlighted the importance of complying with copyright requirements when photographs, broadcasts and other sports-related content are reproduced or used commercially.
The speaker urged athletes and other stakeholders to seek appropriate legal guidance to protect their intellectual property and avoid losing income from assets they may not fully understand.
The session further explored the legal safeguards required in relationships involving athletes, clubs, agents, promoters and sponsors.
A sports-law contributor, Jesu-Joba Tosu explained that sports contracts should be examined in the context of the particular sport, the purpose of the agreement and the parties involved. The speaker noted that different sporting disciplines and contractual relationships require different provisions.
Using boxing as an example, the discussion considered agreements between promoters and boxers, including the need to clarify the promoter’s responsibilities, the number of bouts guaranteed to an athlete and the financial terms governing payment.
Tosu cautioned that headline earnings announced publicly may not represent the amount an athlete ultimately receives, as taxes and other deductions can significantly affect the final payment.
The contribution reinforced the need for athletes to understand their contractual obligations, financial entitlements and the implications of agreements before signing them.
The broader message was that proper legal representation and carefully negotiated contracts are essential to preventing exploitation and ensuring that athletes receive fair value for their talent and commercial appeal.
The question-and-answer segment brought attention to the position of grassroots clubs that invest time and resources in developing young athletes.
Responding to a question about whether a young player’s academy could benefit financially if the player later signed for a professional club, a panel contributor explained the role of FIFA’s training compensation and solidarity mechanisms.
He noted that, where the applicable rules are satisfied, clubs that trained a player during specified stages of the player’s development may be entitled to a portion of relevant compensation or transfer-related payments.
The explanation clarified that such payments are designed to recognise the contribution of clubs involved in a player’s development, rather than to take money directly from the player.
The discussion underscored the importance of maintaining proper records of player development and understanding the relevant football regulations, particularly as young Nigerian players progress from academies to professional football at home and abroad.
Across the session, speakers returned to a common concern: Nigeria’s sporting potential must be supported by the institutions, business models and legal arrangements required to convert talent into lasting economic value.
The discussants suggested that the growth of the sports industry would depend not only on the performance of athletes but also on the ability of stakeholders to build commercially viable competitions, attract private investment, protect intellectual property, negotiate fair contracts and establish reliable revenue streams.
The plenary formed part of the broader conversations at the 7th Legal Business Conference, organised under the theme “Law, Commerce and Creativity: Unlocking New Frontiers in Health, Sports and Fashion Law.”
By bringing legal practitioners and sports-industry professionals together, the session highlighted the role of law in supporting the commercial development of Nigerian sports and creating a framework through which athletes, investors and sporting institutions can benefit from the sector’s potential.