Why SmartCity is partnering with Osun State FA on a football league

SmartCity Osun State Football League commenced on 13 February 2024 with 32 teams as one of the first local leagues with brand sponsorship. Real estate development firm SmartCity Limited entered an initial five-year deal to sponsor the league.

Sir Demola Aladekomo, founder of Chams Plc, the first indigenous ICT firm on the NGX and the Guinness Book of Records, leads the firm.

Aladekomo is deploying a combination of CSR, sports, and community development to sponsor the Osun State League.

What are your hopes and dreams for this league?

Our vision for this league is to empower young and talented individuals positively, impact them with a platform that offers global exposure for their skills. Through leveraging technology, we aim to showcase their talents to the world, fostering growth and visibility on an international scale.

At SmartCity, our mission is to create a positive impact on our people and communities through investments in people, technology, and real estate. Rooted in our dedication to serving humanity, we also honour our commitment to glorifying God in all that we do.”

Aladekomo says SmartCity aims “to elevate this league into a highly competitive platform that not only produces champions but also discovers and promotes talented youths, granting them visibility on a global stage, produces champions and is a cornerstone of our annual calendar, ensuring its significance in sports and community engagement.”

The SmartCity Osun Football League will feature players, referees, administrators, spectators and everyone in the football value chain.

Aladekomo noted, “With over thirty-two grassroots foot- ball clubs participating, the league offers a vibrant and competitive environment for over 700 young players. Divided into four conferences, the teams compete across eleven grounds every weekend, providing ample opportunities for football agents and scouts to discover emerging talent. We are excited about the potential of these young players and are committed to nurturing them for global recognition, while also fostering a love for the game, competition, and communal unity.”

Sola Fanawopo, a journalist and sports administrator, chairs the Osun State FA. The FA and SmartCity hope to make the league “the premier grassroots football tournament in Nigeria and West Africa”.

Their partners include BlackdrumTV, the broadcast partner that would ensure live coverage of matches aired on both web and cable television networks. The other is Ixzdore, a data partner, to establish data tracking systems for players, clubs, and matches. “This invaluable data will serve as a vital resource for statistical analysis and player/club ratings, facilitating informed decisions and enhancing the overall competitiveness of the league. Furthermore, it will play a crucial role in player transfers, providing clubs and agents with valuable insights into player performance and potential.”

What value proposition attracted SmartCity to leap?

Our decision to step forward as the primary sponsor of the 2024 Osun State Football League is a strategic initiative transcending mere brand exposure. It embodies a profound commitment to community engagement and nurturing grassroots football development, driven by our core values and aspirations.

SmartCity hopes to drive brand visibility, impact, community involvement, market positioning, investment, and legacy building.

Aladekomo stated: “The league sponsorship embodies SmartCity’s commitment to investing in the future of our state and nation. By providing platforms that nurture talent and elevate local sports to a global stage, we aim to leave a lasting legacy of positive impact and growth in Osun State and beyond. At SmartCity, we are proud to lead the way in leveraging this partnership for mutual benefit and the advancement of our communities. Together, we are poised to make a tangible and enduring difference in the lives of our people and the sporting landscape of Osun State.”

How does SmartCity plan to leverage the league for brand building?

SmartCity’s strategic sponsorship of the 2024 Osun State Football League is a cornerstone in the brand-building efforts, offering a multifaceted approach to enhancing visibility and engagement. It offers prominent positioning, global reach, shared values and community engagement.

Aladekomo: “The league’s emphasis on competition and fair play mirrors SmartCity’s core values of integrity and excellence. By aligning with these ideals, we reinforce our commitment to fostering positive relationships within the community. This shared ethos is a powerful foundation for brand building, resonating with football enthusiasts and fostering loyalty among fans and followers.”

Both Aladekomo and Fanawapo believe that the dominant European Leagues with their massive TV exposure and Nigerian audience, will not impend the Osun Football League. “The League is an opportunity for our grassroots football clubs to get discovered and grow their support base. We intend to showcase local talents through this league, thereby bringing development to our local games,” Aladekomo stated. “It might take time, but we shall get there. And with the support of media platforms like yours, we will take our local leagues to the next level,” he affirmed.

SmartCity is an investment and infrastructure development company dedicated to creating modern real estate and infra- structural projects that enable people to live, work, and relax in a technologically enabled environment, fostering pleasant and productive living. HazanaCity, Ibadan, its flagship, is a 100-hectare mixed-use real estate project in Oyo State, designed to be a model ‘Work, Live, and Play’ smart city, the first of its kind in Nigeria.

SmartCity’s Project Director Mr. Gabriel Ukachukwu is leading the replication of HazanaCity in Osun State. It aims to provide a decent living, innovative commercial spaces, a technology market, a call centre, a solar farm, entertainment facilities, and leisure areas, all integrated into one place.

Osun State FA Announce Smartcity PLC As Headline Sponsor For State League.

The league shall be known as SmartCity Osun State Football League.SmartCity Osun State Football League promises to deliver huge followership across the state and massive viewership across the planet via social media and web platforms. The FAs broadcast partner, Blackdrum TV will ensure live coverage of major matches both on the Web and cable television networks.The Osun FAs data Partner, Ixzdore will ensure that the League maintains players’, clubs’, and matches’ historical and live data.

From the data, we will generate statistics and analytics useful for player and club ratings that will help in player transfers and facilitate proper trickle-down of transfer payments.

The raw and analytical data will also be available for clubs, analysts, broadcasters, and betting companies. 32 grassroots football clubs have registered for the Under 17 League and have been divided into four conferences.

Two teams will emerge from each of the conferences and proceed to Super 8, where the eventual winners will emerge.

Over 700 young players will participate in the league, featuring 12 weekly matches across 15 football grounds approved for the league matches.

Sir Demola Aladekomo, chairman of SmartCity plc, said:

Sola Fanawopo, Chairman of Osun FA said: SmartCitys commitment to our league is evident, and securing such an iconic and forward-thinking lead partner for our League is great news for us, the fans, and for the whole state. The partnership will help us inspire interest in football from the private sector and allow us to continue our investment into the game at all levels.

The SmartCity Osun Football League will kick off on 13th February at the Osogbo Township Stadium.

SmartCity PLC, an investment and infrastructure development company and Osun Football Association today announced that the tech-focused company will become the Lead Partner of Osun States apex tournament.

32 grassroots football clubs have registered for the Under 17 League

Two teams will emerge from each of the conferences and proceed to Super 8

Over 700 young players will participate in the league

Blackdrum TV will ensure live coverage of major matches

SmartCity Osun State Football League promises to deliver huge followership across the state and massive viewership across the planet

Demola Aladekomo Calls Out for Smart Cities Development in Nigeria Amidst Rapid Urban Migration

Renowned entrepreneur and Founder of Chams Plc, Sir Demola Aladekomo, has underscored the imperative of developing Smart Cities in Nigeria, responding to the United Nations’ projection of approximately 275 million Nigerians migrating from rural to urban areas by 2050. Aladekomo’s call to action took place during the 8th edition of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (LCCI) 2022 Information Communication Technology and Telecommunication (ICTEL) Expo held recently in Lagos.

In his presentation on “Efficient Digital Infrastructures through Smart Cities,” Aladekomo reframed migration as a transformative process rather than a problem. He emphasized the importance of managing the migrating population effectively and understanding migration factors to harness its productive potential, mitigating negative societal impacts.

Citing UN estimates, Aladekomo highlighted that Nigeria’s population is projected to reach about 411 million by 2050 and 794 million by 2100, with rural-urban migration expected to hit 275 million in 2050. Drawing on former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s perspective on migration as an expression of human aspirations, Aladekomo emphasized the need to leverage migration for societal benefit.

Explaining the concept of Smart Cities, he described them as places that enhance the quality of life, offering entertainment, environmental sustainability, and improved security. Aladekomo proposed converting existing poorly structured cities into smart cities through polycentricity and agglomeration.

Polycentricity involves creating decentralized cities around existing urban centers, digitally managing them from inception, while agglomeration involves clustering them in specialized forms such as healthcare cities, technology cities, and agricultural cities. This approach aims to enhance productivity, commerce, cost optimization, job creation, and poverty alleviation.

Key components of Smart Cities, as outlined by Aladekomo, include Smart Governance, Smart Energy, Smart Citizen, Smart Healthcare, Smart Technology, Smart Mobility, Smart Building, and Smart Infrastructure.

Aladekomo suggested leapfrogging relevant technologies to address infrastructural deficits, emphasizing the government’s role in recognizing population growth as an opportunity. He called for accepting rural-urban migration as a reality, utilizing agglomeration and a polycentric governance approach, and leveraging technology for development and administration.

Highlighting SmartCity PLC’s ongoing projects in Ibadan and Osogbo through suburb polycentrism, Aladekomo concluded by urging private sector participation, good governance, adherence to the rule of law, building sustainable institutions, and acknowledging and replicating past successes.

The LCCI ICTEL Expo, where Aladekomo made these insightful remarks, serves as a vital platform for exploring opportunities in Nigeria’s Digital Economy, aligning with the government’s objectives to grow the digital economy and enhance e-governance.