Nigeria’s esports made a historic debut at the National Sports Festival, but while the headlines boast of prize money and revolution, key questions remain: Where’s the grassroots plan? Where’s the structure?
By: IDNN Digital Sports Watch
ABEOKUTA — If one sport rode the media wave harder than even athletics at the Gateway Games 2024, it was Esports.
The narrative was tight:
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Historic debut at the National Sports Festival
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₦10 million prize pool (up from ₦2M originally)
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Lagos and FCT champions winning ₦1.5M each
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Grand speeches from the Esports Federation of Nigeria, NSC, and Lagos Sports Commission
But behind the applause, a real question lingers:
Is this a revolution in progress — or another government-backed PR detour?
YES, ESPORTS IS MASSIVE… GLOBALLY
The numbers are real. The gaming industry is worth over $180 billion, larger than the film and music industries combined.
Globally, 3.3 billion people are gamers.
Africa is tipped to have the fastest-growing player base by 2027.
Nigeria is projected to lead the continent.
So yes, esports isn’t a joke.
It’s youth culture. It’s tech. It’s a career path. It’s soft power.
And it deserves national attention.
BUT… HYPE ≠ INFRASTRUCTURE
What the NSF debut lacked—beneath the LED screens and hashtags—was clear, measurable structure:
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No publicly released policy on grassroots talent development
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No breakdown of state-level access to high-speed internet or gaming hubs
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No mapped-out plan for integrating esports into school curriculums or tech bootcamps
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No clarity on who the esports federation is working with at the national telecom level for broadband support
You can’t build a national ecosystem off a single tournament and a few speeches.
THE MONEY WAS NICE. THE PLAN WAS MISSING.
The prize money leap—from ₦2 million to ₦10 million—was celebrated.
But even that raises questions:
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Why was it dependent on personal donations from NSC and Lagos officials?
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Why wasn’t it pre-budgeted?
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Where is the revenue strategy for future tournaments?
A sport that wants to rival tech and oil cannot depend on “last-minute cash injections” from individuals.
WE NEED MORE THAN CONSOLES IN LAGOS
What happens in Abeokuta or Lekki is not the measure of a national esports policy.
What about:
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Gombe?
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Ebonyi?
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Zamfara?
Are there gaming hubs?
Is there electricity?
Can kids in Makurdi compete in the next NSF edition, or will this remain a Lagos–FCT showcase?
Until these questions are answered, the “democratization of esports” remains theory—not practice.
📢 YES, THE VOICE OF A GENERATION IS HERE—BUT WHO’S LISTENING?
EFN COO Damilola Pedro gave the quote of the tournament:
“We are not here to prove ourselves. We are here to take our place.”
We agree.
Esports deserves a place.
But the foundation must be stronger than speeches and single-city spectacles.
WHAT NIGERIA NEEDS NOW:
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A National Esports Development Blueprint
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Broadband penetration targets for gamer inclusion
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Public-private partnership with tech firms
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Integration with education, military simulation training, and digital economy
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State-level esports associations with funding frameworks
Only then can we say:
This isn’t hype.
It’s homegrown, inclusive, and economically viable.