Nigerian entrepreneur creates local sportswear label to rival international brands.

Record ID: 105809

  • Title: Nigerian entrepreneur creates local sportswear label to rival international brands.
  • Date: 27th April 2016
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) TUNJI BROWN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO), OWU SPORTS WEAR, SAYING: "I grew up supporting the Nigerian league and the desire to always be involved in sports since I don't do sports personally was there so we looked at it, the possibility of what is actually going on in the Nigerian league with regards to kitting and we decided to go into production o
  • Embargoed: 12th May 2016 15:33
  • Keywords: Football Jerseys Sportswear Brands Entrepreneur Business
  • Location: LAGOS, NIGERIA
  • City: LAGOS, NIGERIA
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0034F59YL3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In 2008, Owu Sportswear set up shop in Nigeria's sprawling commercial capital, Lagos.
    Tunji Brown who started the company says he wanted was to create a local alternative to the more expensive international brands like Nike and Adidas.
    "I grew up supporting the Nigerian league and the desire to always be involved in sports since I don't do sports personally was there so we looked at it, the possibility of what is actually going on in the Nigerian league with regards to kitting and we decided to go into production of sportswear and follow in the footsteps of well known brands like Nike and Adidas.
    Owu now employs 30 people. But things were tough going when the company first started as local teams were reluctant to try on the new jerseys.
    In 2010, the brand was able to produce sportswear for the Oyo state based Shooting Stars of Nigeria, the first professional football team to sign a deal with them.
    "There's actually been a lot of challenges ranging from fabrics, availability of fabrics, acceptance by teams to do Nigerian brand, to be kitted by a Nigerian sportswear manufacturer then fabric," Brown added.
    20 local sports teams are now kitted by Owu. The company is the fastest growing sportswear brand in the country. Owu also creates team jerseys which fans wear during matches.
    "It's nice, number one, because it's locally made. We can't compare the quality with that of the western one that we used to buy; the Arsenal jersey, the Manchester but at least it's made in Nigeria. It's okay and we need to encourage the maker of the jersey so that and I know by the time if all of us, all the football fans in Nigeria can patronise the locally made, it will improve our own economy," said Oluwafemi Bamiduro, a local football fan.
    "I never thought that a Nigerian can produce a jersey that we'll be proud of, that we can put on, that the governor from Lagos state will put on, that the general overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries world-wide, his assistant general overseer, our pastors, you know big people in the church will put on and the first comment would be wow, was this made in Nigeria? I mean, hey, I wear it proudly wherever I go," said Godwin Enakhena, Chairman of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles a local football club who are Owu sportswear clients.
    Owu is currently worth about 39 million naira (200,000 U.S. dollars). The company hopes they will one day be the brand of choice for Nigeria's 'Super Eagles' and other African football teams.
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