Nigeria Sports Privatization

By

Murtala Bala Habu

Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA 

murtala_habu@lycos.com

Snapshots  

The African interconnectedness practice of reliance on one another socially, economically, environmentally and politically roots are softly nonexistence as results of extinction of traditional business methodologies that began in slavery, colonization and democratization eras. Oneness or popularly “It Takes the Whole Village to Raise a Child,” is uniquely norm and that geminate from generation to next. Critiquing from public and business policies standpoints, nothing unethical or inferior with the concept except that it needs reformations in the 21^st century to meet demand and supply curves for development and growth. And to revamp such unique practice requires time in research and developments.

Public sector is at crossroads with foreign influences unconsciously not knowing rightly what to practice benefits its citizens, now the government mimics capitalism systems promoted by World Bank/IMF Loans and the sister-institutions are known to promulgate unjust in pursue of transactions for profits. More exactly; Nigerian leaders are copying un-insightfulness into the United States privatization practice fleeceable disintegrating government leading to failures and strategically creating avenues for World Bank/IMF Loans lead expansion of free enterprises to self-guard, expand wellbeing and empire(s), relinquishing larger portion of the populations inhumanely, venerability to exploitations. Privatization is not the solutions to [un]employments, upgrading standard of living and it must not be the core reasons to adopt; as it’s designed to disorient cultural business norms, known for generations. Further, the government does not need free market option for profitable ventures or rescue development and growth, rather ‘the most needed is reorientations in governance in the public sector.’ Core components of government performance is measured through leadership, if leaders are accountable with interdependence variables, others shall [un]consciously promote selves.   

Blueprints to Sports Privatization

Every Nigeria government military or democracy regimes replicates or promotes 6 points, 7 points or 14 points agendas, vision 20/20 or blueprints and or whatever hypothesis deems fit. What these meant for the nation is not gauged by scientific measurements such as empirical findings as backup claims of meeting the agendas or visions, but instead economists; public and business administrators merely gauged those by theoretical means. Due to lack of attentive and thorough research and development, experts pretend not be aware that privatization or policy and procedures in the United States are gauged before citizens are encouraged to participate or consume and or pay for services?

Nigerian Sports Commission has made its intension to join other public sectors in privatizing sports, while the conceptuality of public private sports partnership is better than doing nothing as doing nothing is nothing. Starting something is something! However, the concept of ownership is not genuineable practicable and profitable for corporations or individuals, as entities will not record profits, rather records more loses in the profit and lost columns. In same token; sports concession will bring instability in the threefold ethnic superpower Hausa, Yoruba and or Ibo predominantly owned of any sports for example, Nigeria Tennis Federation. Positively one of the groups would prefer to employ more of their group(s); process of disintegration and, this sounds good to me like the 15 year period predicted by the United States in 2006 that Nigeria shall be in fames’ closer, should privatization continue?

Patrick Ekeji, Director General, road map or so called blueprints to sports development was published in [online vanguard, December 2008]. And after the publication, Nigerian Sports International Foundation and Nigerian Tennis Foundation, USA teleconferenced on [January 2009] with the director general; in the process, I asked Ekeji four questions as outlined: (1) in item 6a, does the sports commission accepts application from foreign individuals or Nigerian corporations and or individuals? Ekeji noted both, that if foreign organization is interested in any sports organizations; it’s required to have Nigerian partner(s) or corporation(s) as guarantor(s). (2) In item 4, besides funding next is ‘staffing,’ how would be the public private ratio of staffing the six zones: Gembu, Ibadan, Kaduna, Nsulu, Abuja and Calabar, etc? Or better is the NSC staffing 50 percent and the private sector provides 50 percent? Ekeji stated staffing is 100 percent rested on the entrepreneurs, however, if they cannot, sports commission will provide secretaries and the federation pays their salaries. (3) Electricity; since the public private partnerships’ model from the United States and United States has constant power supply, Nigeria does not. For any sector become productive and efficiently yield the very first principles of being in business “revenues,” there must be constant power supply, how would the private sectors generate revenues with no stable supply? Ekeji noted private sector can generate supply by using electric generators. Use generators, for how long? Is this how the United States sports organizations operate and succeeds? (4) Nigeria has nearly 90 percent rate of unemployment, who are the target audiences? Ekeji posits that people are eager to pay for these services should government privatize sports, how?

Analyses and Recommendations

The government promotes privatization, but the managers have not concluded through regression analyses and or feasibility studies determine sports future, it only wants to implement the United States approach, which its norm does not fit nor will properly work for Nigeria. Clearly, Nigeria is not ready for sports privatization by Ekeji’s responds and from ethical evaluations! Further facts; Nigeria is a free consumer society, while the United States is a consumer and customer service oriented. Nigerians are not raise to pay for their consumption habits even at the period and after the west introduced its version of currency as medium of exchange, while the United States citizens are raise to understand that nothing is free...profit and lost columns are the utmost foundation of their free world. In Nigeria credit or loans are not easily accessible to consumers nearly 100 percent, while the reverse in the United States. Almost one race is doing business transactions together. The probability of same race paying for their transactions is somewhat 35 percent, and may hardly penalize or sue for lack of payments. In the United States, different races are doing transactions together and as well, the certainty is 90 percent that they’ll pay for their services, if they do not, likelihood they’ll not received services again, subject to penalties, negative credit reports, rejection of employment and or may lead to civil law sued. More so; public or private sectors that conduct successful sports programs anticipates gains, if it does not it shut the doors. Likely private organizations will eventually shuts doors, living the public reinvent self with not profit making as it’s now! It is also important to observe closely that United States sports programs are succeeding because of the constant electricity supply, nearly-excellent-networking, and support systems from the government. Nigerian government does not; still struggles to provide basic things in life for its citizens and sizeable number is unemployed? With such evidences, it also shows that Nigeria sports privatization is not incentives wise for business minded individual(s); and as it’s in unstable environment to survive. Virtually from political, business, public and to social lives are in disarray due to ‘poor leadership.’ Therefore, sports privatization is not small measurement for success now, unless corporations or individuals attempting uncalculated risk.

Ekeji must reassess and include as well former players in Diasporas in the United States for such huge challenges. Sadiq Abdullahi asked what he could do be included in the privatization process? Ekeji mentioned sports commission has it own team members. I wonder the type of team sports commission has, an extensive traveled; another words, ideally extensive traveled home base sports experts, who come on temporary visas, stayed range from 3 months-a year, and return home with assumption of knowing how sports work in the United States from the inside-outside-distance, or a team that its members have resided from 5-30 years, work in sports organizations, have basic and broad knowledge of sports privatization and or combinations of the two ingredients? The sports administrator do not want to include members of NSIF/NTF, USA but want its initiatives work, how can such program become reality when no one is called to serve their country? In February 2007, Bill Mountford, Briton and National Tennis Center, Director of Tennis, United States Tennis Association, (Home of the U.S. Open Championships), awarded Professional Tennis Registry-New York Member of the Year with this author as Tennessee Member of the Year. Immediately Mountford was awarded, British Lawn Tennis Association offered him Head of Coach Relations and Competitions to assist in revitalization of Great Britain Tennis Programs with anticipation of tapping world class athletes. Mountford was very comfortable with responsibilities at the USTA National office in New York, but BLTA needed his expertise. Abdullahi does not need to ask sports commission to serve, but Nigeria need to call any of it talents to serve!

And lastly, sports commission may have found new way to eventually slow government interference with the idea of ‘capitalist parasite called privatization,’ but the government must also note that those sports organizations will not survive because of high complex ethnic-diversities. Mind you, United States sports policies and or programs are designed, not necessary run but are control by ‘Caucasians,’ it does not matter one’s level of qualifications and expertise from other races, they get the ideas from other nationalities, use necessary suggestions and still controls, unlike Nigeria where every group muscles to lead even it has not basic common sense of (PPB) political, public and or business administration.