Nigeria s the obvious choice for Cleveland Browns NFL growth

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The Cleveland Browns, who in March were granted international marketing rights for the country through the NFL's Global Marketing program, made a practical choice in choosing Nigeria as their partner nation.

The Browns have cited the presence of Nigerian players in their team, and the large following they have in Lagos, as key reasons for their decision to prioritize the market.

They have already got to work on utilizing their opportunity to engage the market, with former Big Brother Naija contestant Ozo Chukwu announcing Jamari Thrash as the Browns' fifth round draft pick - the 156th overall - from Lagos.

They have also signed Nigerian-born offensive tackle Roy Mbaeteka, who came through the NFL IPP Program and has been on the practice squads of the New York Giants and Chicago Bears.

"There were several reasons why Nigeria was our target market for expanding our rights outside of Ohio," Brent Rossi, the Browns' senior vice president of marketing and media, told ESPN.

"First, we wanted to identify a market that had an authentic connection with the Cleveland Browns. Nigeria made a ton of sense based on the various Browns players who have strong connections to the country, most notably, David Njoku, who is a chief in Nigeria.

"We also looked at our fanbase outside of our core market and found that Nigeria and Lagos, specifically, are top 5 markets for us when it comes to followers on our social media channels. We also wanted to be first to market and there were no other NFL teams who had rights to Nigeria.

"Last, just the sheer size of the market and Nigeria being the largest country in Africa and the 6th largest in the world, was a decisive factor."

Njoku, a tight end who has been with the Browns since he was drafted in 2017, formally became a chief in March, in recognition of his humanitarian efforts, following in his father's footsteps.

Nigeria has dominated as far as representation from African countries in the NFL goes and he is far from the only star to come from the country. Rossi envisions Africa drawing interest from several teams looking to acquire similar marketing deals to the one the Browns have in Nigeria and the Philadelphia Eagles struck in Ghana in 2022.

Rossi added: "I think as we see interest in the game of football develop and increase over the next several years within Africa, NFL teams will take notice and look to expand their brands into the continent.

"I think it's important for any team and brand to be first to market, which is why we're so excited about the opportunities we have to grow the game of football and our Cleveland Browns brand in Nigeria."

Nigerian players have contributed to the interest in the country by actively getting involved in community efforts in Africa. Several have participated in camps on the continent, including Nigeria's Ogbo Okoronkwo and Ghana's Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah from the Browns.

Two-time Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora's Uprise program and the NFL camps in Africa have provided a clearer pathway for Nigerian players and those from elsewhere in Africa to reach the NFL International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) than existed before.

The Ejike Ugboaja Foundation and Educational Basketball, two programs that initially focused on basketball talent, began producing American football players. They have been major feeders into the NFL IPP Program. The Ejike Ugboaja Foundation maintains a partnership with the Uprise program, while Educational Basketball is independent.

Outside of this, other business minds are applying their minds to ways to capitalize off the NFL's growth in Nigeria. On April 17, SWA Sports hosted the Sports as a Business Conference in Abuja for both in-person and virtual attendees from the industry.

"There's so much untapped potential and market opportunities for sports in Africa and many players are doing such a remarkable job with so little resources," said the Houston Texans' Folorunso Fatukasi, previously with the Jacksonville Jaguars, in a Q&A provided to ESPN by SWA.

"Investing in elite training facilities and infrastructure is vital to unleashing the full potential of the abundant local talent pool.

"Social media also serves as a powerful amplifier, bridging global communities. Leveraging platforms like X, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram etc to showcase competitive sporting events can attract global brand sponsorships and partnerships from various sectors."

On his own personal journey, Fatukasi, a virtual attendee at the conference, said: "Both of my parents hail from Yoruba land, and the bedrock of my cultural heritage has greatly contributed to shaping my path. The values instilled by my parents have been instrumental in propelling me towards my goals.

"They have consistently emphasized the importance of hard work and diligence, teaching my brothers and me that achieving our ambitions - whether it's being a doctor, lawyer or pro athlete - requires unwavering effort.

"The sense of honor that comes from pursuing a goal and ultimately attaining it is a principle deeply ingrained in me. I carry with me the weight of this honor and responsibility and my cultural roots serve as a guiding force throughout my journey."

Meanwhile, as per his own SWA Q&A, Washington Commanders defensive end Efe Obada said that his ultimate goal is to help bring NFL games and facilities to Africa.

"A lot of it comes down to investing...time, energy and resources. Osi runs annual grassroots programs through The Uprise for talent scouting across the continent, the Browns just announced their international marketing rights for Nigeria, joining the Eagles who have the rights in Ghana via the NFL's Global Markets Program," Obada said in a quote provided to ESPN.

"Every year, more players and teams are holding youth and talent camps in their countries of origin on the continent. NFL Africa has invested in community and fan programming in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa across the last two years, which is only expanding in coming years.

"I think also providing a pathway for potential coaches coming from Africa will further help to flesh out the development of the sport. Long term, my hope is that we are playing games and have facilities on the ground."

As far as positioning themselves within the Nigerian market goes, the Browns have made a major step.

"The Cleveland Browns are uniquely positioned to seize growing opportunities within the Nigerian market as the first NFL team in Africa to build a passionate fanbase," said SWA Sports advisor Udochi Igbokwe.

"By spearheading commercialization efforts, the Browns can increase interest and participation in American football, creating a domino effect that can foster a thriving economic ecosystem into the region - job creation and local talent development."

While remaining coy on dates for their plans, Rossi said: "We're going to have a presence in the market that will start this summer. We're still developing our timelines, but we're looking to hold football camps in Nigeria, fan fest events, while also engaging with members of the community in a meaningful and impactful way."

The NFL airs live on ESPN's channels in Africa (DStv 218 and 219, Starsat 248 and 249).