African Sports Monthly Vol I. Issue II February 2018 | Page 24

The government's Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
says that the government "will make sure that in the code (the new sanction),
if you spend one $1m to support a foreign football club like Manchester United
in Nigeria, you will not be allowed to air that programme unless you spend 30
per cent of that money to promote Nigeria’s league. Some beverage
companies in Nigeria support Manchester United Arsenal and others, and
spend about $6m a year.
“I then asked the question, how much of their products is being consumed
over there?" he asked.
The government choice is like a coin of multiple sides. To desist from such
sanctions would, as pessimists are advocating, drive the league into further
financial problems and to stay steadfast with the sanctions could, nonetheless,
create some sort of harsh impacts on the companies.
For instance, the
government can raise
revenue for the league with
that policy since a host of
giant local companies are
involved in huge deals with
top clubs around Europe's
top league. On this ground,
the league might
moderately overcome her
nemesis.  This solution is a
good fix on the outer level
but it's way far from
addressing the root causes
of the apathy.  The
government feels that
companies that
fundamentally derive their
revenue from Nigeria's
economy have inherited the
obligation to be committed
to its development.