On Thursday 25th of February, we hosted #SMWSportsMedia at the 2016 Social Media Week in Lagos. Held at Landmark Event Centre in Victoria Island, the event was well attended by people from various parts of Nigeria and Africa.
There was no doubt that a lot of people in the room desired a more vibrant Sports industry in Nigeria. This was evident from the rapt attention and awe in the demeanour of attendees who were wowed by the Top Sprinter journey so far after watching a never-seen-before highlight from Season 2 of the show . Top Sprinter is the Reality TV show which BBC tagged the X-Factor for Athletics. It seeks to discover and nurture athletic talents that will become Nigeria’s next generation of Olympians.
At the session, we showcased how Social Media has been a critical tool in reshaping how Nigerian Athletics is being perceived by Nigerians and foreigners alike. Some of the things touched on by the various speakers are summarized here:
Bambo Akani shared on why and how he started the Making of Champions movement four years ago. The audience was touched by his story of sacrificing an Investment Banking career in the UK and a top consulting job in South Africa for the uncharted territory of Nigerian Athletics. He expounded on the online media platforms MoC has been using to re-awaken the sport.
Deji Aliu narrated how he first met Bambo when he interviewed him at a Lagos Schools Competition two years ago and started working with him last year. He shared his experience on being part of MoC, particularly with using the Reality TV format to conduct a Nationwide Talent Search last year. He touched on how athletes are now getting more Social Media savvy because they needed to be on top of upcoming Top Sprinter events and competitions and see their performances in video and photos.
Toyin Ibitoye talked on why in the last 2 years, he’s often hosted Bambo on the Sports Tonight show on Channels TV and has also seen the Making of Champions movement grow to national prominence. He also reminisced on Nigeria’s standing at the height of powers in World Athletics in the 80’s and 90’s. He then shared how he thinks Making of Champions can help take us back to those heights and more. As Super Eagles Media Officer, he agreed there are ideas that Nigerian Football and other sports could borrow from Top Sprinter and Making of Champions’ Social Media Strategy.
Tunde Koiki who has worked for various prominent traditional media outlets, such as Complete Sports and now Beat 99.9 FM as a Sports Anchor, is also the Host of the Top Sprinter Reality TV Show. Having presided over some of the most dramatic moments on the show, he talked about the Decision Room concept and why he thinks the Reality TV show model works.
See pictures from the #SMWSportsMedia session below:
when are competitions coming up this 2016??