Nigerians, as a whole, are huge sports fans, especially when it comes to soccer-slash-football, and celebrating Christmas with gifts that help feed the sports obsession would be the perfect way to spend the holidays.
Here are some gift ideas for the Nigerian sports fan, some more realistic than others!
Tickets to a Sporting Lagos game
Thinking of a romantic date in Lagos? A football game might be the last thing on your mind, but not when you are a Sporting Lagos fan.
Sporting Lagos are among the new kids on the Nigerian football block. In only their third year of existence, the club have enjoyed a rollercoaster ride, moving from the NNL to the Premier League in one season, topping the league briefly and sparking hopes of a potential breathtaking title charge, before folding towards the end and suffering relegation back to whence they came, the NNL.
In this short time however, Sporting have reshaped the football fan landscape, completely turning it on its head. They pioneered online ticket sales validated via QR code at the point of entry, welcomed and embraced a diverse fan base, and their fans are largely young, trendy, and out to have a good time.
A ticket to a Sporting Lagos game is more than just about the football. It is about entertainment, lifestyle, networking, making connections, living that Lagos weekend life, and even couples romantic dates.
Popular artistes entertain the crowd at half time, celebrities make their way to the games, garbed in the SL replica shirts and their VIP box tickets come complete with catered menu.
A VIP ticket to a Sporting Lagos game would make an excellent Christmas gift for a sports fan. Especially when combined with that iconic, sought-after replica shirts.
A signed Super Eagles/Falcons jersey
Okay, so the excitement around the teams is not quite the same as it used to be, but imagine getting a Super shirt as a Christmas gift. Now imagine getting a Super Eagles shirt signed by Victor Osimhen, or a Falcons jersey signed by Asisat Oshoala.
Alternatively, Oshoala’s Bay FC jersey would make a snazzy, and slightly more rare outside the US, addition to any collection.
A premium cable subscription
During the Yuletide season, most people are on vacation and it is time to binge on screens. A premium cable subscription guarantees that there will be no dull moment for everyone in the family, from adults to kids.
Giving the gift of a Premium DSTV subscription (which hosts ESPN’s channels in Africa, coincidentally) means sports fans can watch NFL, NBA, European football and a bunch of other sporting events during the festive season and beyond.
The subscription also means they are able to record live events and shows when they are outdoors, attending events or all those December meetings and with Catchup. So nobody has to be grumpy about not being able to go home to watch that football match!
Unlimited internet
Those reading this outside Africa may not be able to fathom the idea of limited internet, but that is the reality for much of the continent, where data costs are high and unlimited WiFi is spotty in many countries.
Even with a cable subscription, lots of folks still have their streaming services like Netflix (Disney+ is not yet available in Nigeria), as a Plan B for video on demand and bingeing shows and movies with the family.
Netflix is by far the most popular, with a ton of Nigerian and Hollywood movies, including original productions, not to mention a bunch of other streaming services like Prime Video and of course YouTube with its rich array of content just there to be gobbled up.
And then of course there are the various social media platforms, and diving into short video content rabbit holes, as well as music streaming services.
Nothing would please folks more than getting the gift of unlimited data so they can get back at those pesky Spotify Wrapped sharers!
A keg of gasoline
As good as the last two gifts are, they would be completely useless without this one. Nigeria has been afflicted with power supply issues for almost as long as the country has been in existence.
Nearly every family own a generator, from the small 2.5KVA models popularly referred to as “I pass my neighbour” to the huge industrial models. All of these are, naturally powered by fuel, either petrol or diesel.
However, most years, December is usually the period when fuel scarcity kicks in, for whatever reason, resulting in long queues at petrol stations and frustration at home. Thankfully, that may not be the case this year, with the Dangote refinery opening in Lagos and news of the Port Harcourt refinery back to production after decades.
On the flip side, the price of petroleum products have skyrocketed in Nigeria since the subsidy removal, and fuel is now, for want of a better term, an essential commodity.
Although the power supply has improved somewhat with the independent electricity distribution companies, round the clock power supply is still a dream, so a tank of gas is required to watch festive season sports.
Power banks
Who goes out in Nigeria without a power bank? Look inside that lovely lady’s purse, you’ll find one. See that bulge in that gentleman’s agbada? It’s a power bank.
With the amount of time people spend outdoors and on the road during the Christmas season, a power bank is a must. Nobody wants their phone battery conking out on them at any moment.
How would they take that pic for the Gram? Or make that dance video for TikTok?
A return air ticket home
Christmas is that time of the year when we all mostly empty out of the cities and head to the villages.
Nobody wants to be caught trying to buy a plane ticket in December. It’s either completely sold out, or costs an arm and leg. Still, we all want to go see grandma and grandpa, show off to the cousins and relives those days when we could win at backyard footy without tearing a hamstring.
A gaming console
Who will say no to a PS5? Beating the snot out of friends on the new EA Sports FC or NBA 2K could not be sweeter than during the Christmas period, when the banter can flow non-stop without being able to run away to work as an excuse.
With so much time on your hands, this would be the perfect gift for friends and family catching up for the first time in months, or even years.
Lunch with a legend
Who would say no to lunch with Jay-Jay Okocha or Nwankwo Kanu? Not many football fans, and not just Nigerians. Who would your ideal former Nigeria footballer dinner guest be?