In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with The Punch (https://apo-opa.co/4xV7KqX), Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper, Former FIFA Secretary General and ACG Advisory Board member Fatma Samoura makes the case that Nigeria has everything it takes to become Africa’s sport and entertainment hub, calls for a fundamental shift away from the standalone stadium model, and argues that the continent’s sporting talent and the economic value it generates must stay on African soil.

Ms Samoura, who served as FIFA Secretary General from 2016 to 2023, the first woman and first African to hold the position, addresses the infrastructure gap holding back Africa’s sport economy, explains her decision to join the Advisory Board of African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com), and outlines why integrated sport and entertainment districts represent the future of sport infrastructure on the continent.

Key excerpts from the interview:

On ACG’s model:

“What I find interesting about ACG is that it looks beyond the traditional stadium model, towards sport and entertainment districts that work all year round, combining sport with hospitality, entertainment, retail, training and community facilities.”

On Nigeria’s potential:

“Nigeria could become a regional hub for major competitions, entertainment productions and talent development.”

On Africa’s talent drain:

“Africa’s sporting talent is world class, but the infrastructure to develop, retain and fully benefit from that talent is still largely absent.”

On the role of the private sector:

“The real question is how to turn that potential into bankable projects, quality jobs and long-term value for Nigerians.”

Ms Samoura's appointment to the ACG Advisory Board was announced earlier this month (https://apo-opa.co/4Ah7PH8). African Collaborations Group (ACG) is a strategic project origination platform focused on the industrialisation of sport in Africa. ACG originates bankable sport and entertainment districts by convening governments, development finance institutions, investors, and sport stakeholders around integrated, financially self-sustaining projects designed to operate 365 days a year. ACG's model originated within the FIFA Task Force for Infrastructure Development in Africa, an initiative Ms Samoura established during her tenure as Secretary General.

The full interview is available on The Punch’s platforms:

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LinkedIn (212,000 followers): https://apo-opa.co/4hpBbeL