The Thriving Business In Sports with Akinbode Oguntuyi

Akinbode Oguntuyi is the Executive Director – Administration, of SportVision, a Sports Production company based in Lagos. He has held editorial positions in reputable Sports magazine publishing organization, Complete Communications. He became the first man in Nigeria to have a weekly column on Basketball in 1994, with “NBA Showtime” in Sports Weekly. He has since become an accepted member of the NBA Press fraternity. He is one of the most informed analysts on the Nigerian football scene. Bode was the focus of a documentary by a Japanese TV Network during the 2002 World Cup, simply on account of his zeal for his job.

Below is a summary of the Interview The Thriving Business In Sports with Akinbode Oguntuyi

Bode described himself as a sports broadcaster who although studied English developed a love for it at a tender age of seven when a former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Bro Joe began to take him to games at Onikan stadium and UAC. He says Bro Joe is one of the major players that inspired his love for sports.

When asked about the changes he noticed from the Nigerian sports terrain of the past and now, he points out the obvious differences in crowd support. There was more support in the old days than nowadays, he adds that the interest in local leagues is dying and he wants to revive it. He continues when asked why the local leagues are fading saying that sports are tied to the social environment therefore the need of young people to leave the country is evident. Individuals will only storm the stadiums to watch their heroes, heroes, in turn, are built and many of these heroes are not getting paid in Nigeria, so they move overseas to play for countries willing to compensate them.

He believes that the government policies are restricting the provision of proper training facilities and equipment which in turn results in athletes moving somewhere else to become better. He spoke briefly about his love for the NBA and where it emerged.

When asked how he felt when he was called to start reporting, he replied that he actually began by accident. A friend overseas had been sending magazines with some basketball content and one day he went to work when his boss suggested he wrote a column and he agreed. Ever since he has been following sports.

He examines the importance of fans in sports as they are where revenue is generated. People will only spend money on what they are passionate about and once fans stop coming to games, a club will run down. He also adds that the government should play the role of providing infrastructure and enabling the environment. He says that they’ve turned sports into a political tool and in order to get full potential, this must stop.

Bode mentions steps that can be taken to ensure safety in stadiums and sporting arenas. Security personnel must be made available and enough money must be in the clubs account before the season can begin to ensure salaries can be paid at the end.

When asked how good the sports business is, he said it is very good despite the stress. He stresses that you can only get the returns you want only if you’re very good at what you are doing. You also need to specialize in a certain aspect of sports and have a wide knowledge of the different sports available.

Bode also speaks on betting saying it is here to stay, it is a vice and we can only pray there’s someone that can set people right because it can become an addiction. His advice to people who were looking to become sports professionals was that they should first study, either in school or through online mediums before embarking fully on their sports career journey.

Concluding, he said that although he is not rich, he has had the pleasure to train people who presently are editors and OAPs in many stations or magazines. He said it brings him a joy to see his former underlings get to the top.