By Eyere Ekuta
...........From policy to practice, a new era emerges where talent is protected, innovation is driven, and sports becomes a thriving economic asset............
It began as a conversation, but quickly became a moment of reckoning. Inside the workshop hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), On Intellectual Property and Business of Sports in Nigeria. There was a clear sense of urgency as stakeholders gathered to confront a defining question for Nigerian sports, how can the country protect and truly profit from what it already has?
At the centre of that conversation stood the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, whose message shaped both the tone and direction of the engagement.
“Sports is now media rights, it is branding, it is sponsorship, it is merchandise, it is technology, it is data, it is content, it is athlete image, it is fan engagement… At the heart of all this is intellectual property.”
With that statement, Dikko reframed sports from mere recreation into a layered economic system. He emphasized that Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not a lack of talent, but the inability to properly identify, protect, and commercialize the intellectual property behind that talent. As he put it, “The goal is simple, to move sports from dependency to productivity… from talent to structured economic value.”
For many in the room, those words resonated as policy. For Daniel Amokachi, they reflected lived experience.
“I’m a victim… when you are not aware of your rights, you always suffer.”
Having reached the pinnacle of global football, Amokachi recounted how, in the early stages of his coaching career, he encountered a painful reality, he could not legally claim what he had built then.
“We are illiterate when it comes to this… that’s why we need experts.”
His story captured a wider truth about the Nigerian sports ecosystem a space rich in talent but often lacking in ownership and protection.
Dikko made it clear that the conversation has shifted. Nigeria is no longer questioning whether it has talent; it is now focused on what it does with it. The real task, he stressed, is to identify, protect, and commercialize existing assets.
He painted a picture of a future where broadcast rights drive revenue, data becomes a critical asset, technology enhances fan engagement, and athletes take full ownership of their image and brand. In this vision, sports is not just competition, but a structured industry built on intellectual property.
As the session transitioned into a panel discussion, the conversation deepened with insights from experts across law, business, and academia. Guiding the exchange was Kayode Okikiolu, whose background in sports journalism and broadcasting brought clarity, structure, and depth. His ability to connect policy to practical realities ensured that the discussion remained both engaging and insightful.
The panelists expanded on the core themes with precision. Beverly Agbakoba-Onyeyianya stressed the importance of education and professionalization, noting that talent alone cannot generate sustainable income without proper structure.
Jamal Mohammed highlighted the opportunities within sports enterprise, while acknowledging persistent challenges such as infrastructure gaps and limited funding.
Gbemisola Abudu delivered one of the most striking insights of the session, stating that “Talent is the NOW, IP is the FUTURE,” while emphasizing the importance of personality, branding, and audience engagement.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Olowononi drew attention to the realities of sports piracy, referencing the Copyright Act 2022 Nigeria and the legal consequences of infringement, while also warning about digital vulnerabilities and data exposure.
Despite their different perspectives, the message was unified without intellectual property, value in sports is easily lost.
While the vision was ambitious, Dikko did not ignore the realities on ground. He pointed to low awareness of intellectual property, weak documentation systems, poor understanding of image rights, and underdeveloped merchandising and data structures. Governance concerns, he noted, continue to affect investor confidence.
Yet, his message remained forward-looking and decisive: “These challenges are not a reason to step back… they are reasons to act.
With the theme Ready, Set, Innovate, In closing, Dikko delivered a structured roadmap for the future. Nigeria, he said, is ready, with clear policy direction already in place. The country is set, with new structures and reforms being developed by the National Sports Commission.
What remains is the final step ‘innovation’.
“We must innovate in how we protect… how we finance… how we commercialize.”
He emphasized that innovation must cut across every aspect of the sports ecosystem, from media rights and sponsorship to technology and athlete development.
The path forward, according to Dikko, requires a cultural shift. Intellectual property audits must become standard practice across federations, leagues, and events. Clubs must actively protect their brands, while athletes must understand and control their image rights.
More importantly, agreements around sponsorship, broadcasting, merchandising, and digital content must be properly structured and enforced.
The session concluded with an interactive exchange that allowed participants to share perspectives and seek clarity on key issues. In his final remarks, Shehu Dikko reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to ongoing reforms and highlighted steps already being taken to address structural challenges.
The closing address by Abdul Arungu Abubakar, who served as the WIPO Programme Officer for the workshop, reinforced the organization’s continued commitment to deepening intellectual property awareness in Nigerian sports through sustained engagement and future initiatives.
What emerged from the workshop was a clear and compelling shift in perspective. Nigerian sports is moving beyond talent recognition toward value protection, innovation, and ownership.
The message was simple but powerful, while talent may define the present, intellectual property will secure the future of sports in Nigeria and across Africa.
