2026 SAIS: ASN MD Asher Alon Rallies Stakeholders to Rebuild Nigeria’s Sporting Culture for Investment Growth

Posted : 11 February 2026

The Managing Director of Africa Sports Network (ASN), Mr. Asher Alon, has delivered a passionate and thought-provoking address at the 2nd edition of the Sports Africa Investment Summit (SAIS 2026) in Lagos, urging stakeholders to rebuild Nigeria’s sporting culture as the foundational step toward unlocking meaningful investment in the sector.

Alon spoke at the summit held at the National Theatre, Iganmu, where investors, policymakers, sports executives, athletes, and media professionals gathered under the theme: “Africa’s Sports Future – Finance and Investment Strategies to Unlock Infrastructure and Trade Opportunities.”

The 2026 SAIS was held at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

While many discussions at the summit centred on financing models, governance reforms, and digital transformation, Alon steered the conversation to what he described as the missing link in Nigeria’s sports economy: culture.

Asher alluded that, “Sport is culture, not a player-trading business.”

Drawing from his 17 years of experience across Africa, Alon noted that sports in Nigeria have gradually shifted from a community activity into an individual business model focused on discovering and selling talents rather than building teams and fan communities.

“A small boy playing football on the street is not thinking of becoming Messi or Ronaldo.

He just wants to have fun. But parents and academies now push children into sports as a business, looking for diamonds to sell. That is not how you build sport. Sport is culture.”

According to him, this mentality has eroded the organic fan base that should naturally sustain local leagues like the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

Alon also emphasized that empty stadiums would weaken the ecosystem, which could discourage investment in Nigeria's sports sector.

The Managing Director of ASN painted a vivid picture of the consequences of this cultural decline, citing the poor attendance at NPFL matches, even in densely populated cities like Lagos.

“You go to NPFL games and the stadium is 90 per cent empty. This is the Premier League of the country.

Why not bring children from the neighbourhood to fill the stadium? Give them sachet water, let them cheer, let them enjoy. That is how you build fans and culture.”

He stressed that empty stadiums discourage sponsors, weaken broadcast value, and ultimately collapse the sports ecosystem.

Alon also described government as an enabler, while the media is the amplifier.

Rather than calling for heavy government spending, Alon advocated for simple policy enablement, such as tax incentives that allow companies to deduct a percentage of sports sponsorship from their taxes.

He also challenged the Nigerian media for focusing overwhelmingly on foreign leagues while neglecting local competitions.

“If the media doesn’t speak about NPFL, NNL, or rugby, fans will not come and sponsors will not come.”

Alon further lamented the disappearance of open spaces where children once played freely, replaced by billboards and commercial structures.

“Make the billboard elevated enough so kids can still play. This is enablement that costs government nothing but builds sporting culture.”

Beyond Alon’s cultural perspective, other panellists examined the structural and financial barriers preventing investment from flowing into Nigeria’s sports industry.

A debt finance expert at the session highlighted that weak governance, poor transparency, and accountability within sports federations and clubs remain major red flags for investors, particularly foreign financiers.

“Investors want assurance that funds will be used for the purpose committed. Weak governance discourages capital inflow into sports,” he said.

Other speakers also pointed to regulatory and institutional risks, where frequent leadership changes in sports bodies and government often lead to abandoned long-term projects, making investors wary of committing funds to infrastructure projects with 10–20-year horizons.

They all agreed that there is untapped value in sports’ intangible assets.

The panellists noted that sports organisations often overlook the intangible asset value embedded in player contracts, branding rights, and media rights, which can be structured into financing models to give lenders confidence.

“There is value in player contracts and media rights that financiers can use as security in funding sports projects.”

Another key recommendation was the need to design sports-specific sustainable finance products, similar to existing ESG-linked financing in other industries.

Panellists explained that Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and banks can create funding frameworks tied to social and governance outcomes in sports, such as youth development, gender inclusion, and community engagement, making the sector eligible for large pools of already earmarked impact funds.

Discussions also centred on how digital technology can decentralise and modernise sports federations, improve data management, enhance transparency, and unlock new revenue streams through fan engagement platforms, streaming, and media rights management.

Stakeholders agreed that federations must transition from purely regulatory bodies into professionally run, commercially viable institutions capable of attracting private sector participation.

SAIS 2026 builds on the foundation of the inaugural summit by shifting the conversation from identifying problems to creating actionable investment, governance, and financing frameworks for Africa’s sports economy.

However, Alon’s intervention served as a powerful reminder that before finance, infrastructure, and digital tools, sport must return to communities where culture is born.

As stakeholders seek billions in investment for Africa’s sports future, the message from the summit was clear:

Strengthen governance to attract investors

Adopt digital tools to unlock revenue

Enable policies that allow private capital to flow

Only then, participants agreed, can Nigeria and Africa truly position sport as a viable engine for economic growth, trade, and social development.

2026 SAIS: ASN MD Asher Alon Rallies Stakeholders to Rebuild Nigeria’s Sporting Culture for Investment Growth

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