While Nigerian football seriously needs indigenous mobile app solutions
Numbers rarely lie. And in our situation, the numbers clearly depict a rapid adoption of mobile technologies in Nigeria.
Mobile apps are on the rise in Nigeria, most of which are accessed by smartphones. Experts project that the mobile app market in Nigeria will hit a whopping $203.90m in 2026.
Of course, the homepage on these apps is exquisitely designed for mobile responsiveness and fluid user experience.
More than 44% of Nigerians now have access to smartphones. There is no denying that this may sound outrightly discouraging when viewed from a global landscape where other developed countries are enjoying far more profuse smartphone access.
But we must be at least appreciative of the strides we have made in Nigeria, especially considering where we were some twenty years ago.
Now let us bring the message home.
How about we leverage this increased penetration of smartphone accessibility by making Nigerian football readily and remotely accessible on dedicated smartphone apps?
Yes, this promises the robust opportunity of making Nigerian football more attractive to millions of Nigerians, making it far more accessible and easy to keep up with your favorite teams in the local terrain.
Wouldn’t it be great if Nigerian football authorities put their head together with other stakeholders in the IT sector and designed an indigenous website/mobile application where players, clubs, coaches, and fans can register and interact more directly?
The opportunities are glowing.
The registered Nigerian clubs can post video adverts and calls for trials, stating the necessary details that those interested in applying would need.
This app could also be furnished with ecommerce facilities where clubs can also promote and sell their merchandise directly to their fan base.
So instead of having to physically go to Kano to get a Kano Pillars jersey, you could seamlessly order it from the ecommerce store of Kano Pillars on the app.
Of course, the goodies extend to Nigerian coaches and everyday football players as well.
The coaches can post their credentials and availability statuses, the players can post videos along with their profiles so they can be checked out by any registered member, coach or club.
The fans are spectators and they get the news of things going on in the community and can post comments and recommend players for their clubs.
In other words, they can scout for free, giving them an enhanced sense of responsibility and belonging to the local Nigerian football space.
This way, players don’t heavily rely on luck to know about trials at particular clubs or the national levels. If well developed, this app would be widely talked about and would incite people to become more curious about the league and the country’s football in general.
At a time when interest (among Nigerian football enthusiasts) is increasingly transferred from Nigerian football to European football, getting Nigerian football more into the consciousness of sports lovers couldn’t be more helpful.
People are always interested when they are a part of the process. This would also show transparency thereby sparking more belief in the system and the Federation.
Cases of match-fixing will be enormously suppressed since there is a larger spectator community now, meaning typical referee amateurishness will no longer be swept under the carpets anonymously.
Live streaming possibilities can also exist on this localized app.
It could also help to make the important matches, such as the final stages of the domestic cup competitions and the league matches that promise to be interesting, available for free live stream live on the app.
Doing this at least for the first couple of years of the project would go a long way in ramping up interest in the country’s football.
Ultimately, we have an increased decentralization of accessibility to Nigerian football. Here, fans unable to be physically present in stadiums can easily watch their favorite Nigerian sports team play in the local league.
Also, having specialized forums on this app where fans can commune online and chat can also increase the social rave about the app.
This can significantly boost time spent on the app. Fans can engage in banters on the app while anticipating their favorite fixtures. They could also have post-match analysis sessions on the app where fans can drop their technical perspectives on proceeding on Nigerian matches they watched.
Nigerian sports channels could maximize such platforms to find opinionated and vast technical pundits to bring on air and entertain their audiences.
At the end of the day, this app will boost increased transparency and participation in Nigerian local football.
Fans can always come around after weekend fixtures to enjoy highlights of jaw-dropping goals scored in the league.
This could be further promoted on more global-facing platforms like YouTube to attract international participants and scouts to local Nigerian talents.
Curated from: https://www.owngoalnigeria.com/2022/12/22/while-nigerian-football-seriously-needs-indigenous-mobile-app-solutions/
TAGS: #Nigerian #football #indigenous #mobile #app #solutions
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