Sports, Entertainment, Tech: The Lifeline Northern Nigeria Needs, by Mubarak Umar
Northern Nigeria is currently at a defining moment where social pressures, economic uncertainty, and insecurity continue to shape the daily realities of millions. With one of the largest youth populations in Africa, the region faces a troubling paradox: young people are full of energy, talent, and creativity, yet remain largely without structured opportunities to express themselves or contribute meaningfully to society. As insecurity persists and traditional economic pillars weaken, a new path is urgently needed. Massive investment in sport, entertainment, and technology offers that path—one capable of redirecting youthful adrenaline, reducing crime, expanding economic opportunity, and creating a foundation for lasting peace.
The recurring insecurity is deeply tied to the frustration, idleness, and socio-economic exclusion experienced by many young people. Communities repeatedly face cycles of banditry, violent extremism, drug abuse, and political thuggery. What often goes unspoken is the simple reality that many of the young men recruited into these destructive activities are not inherently violent; they are simply searching for purpose, belonging, and a sense of identity in environments that offer them too few alternatives.
Abubakar Shekau was supposed a footballer playing for Super Eagles, but failure to harness his talent lead to him becoming a deadly terrorist and a liability to the entire country .
When societies fail to provide productive outlets, negative forces will fill the vacuum. Therefore, investing in platforms that channel youth energy positively is not just development policy—it is a security strategy.
Sport has proven across the world to be one of the most effective tools for social cohesion, crime reduction, and youth empowerment. Northern Nigeria is blessed with millions of talented youths in football, athletics, martial arts, basketball, and traditional wrestling, yet they are held back by a lack of facilities, professional pathways, and organized competitions. When cities build stadiums, training academies, and recreation centers, they do more than train athletes; they create jobs, stimulate local economies, and offer young people structured routines that draw them away from violence and drug culture.
Countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia have used sport not just for recreation but as instruments of national development and global visibility. Qatar transformed its economy through sports infrastructure linked to the 2022 World Cup, while Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 places sports at the center of youth engagement and national reform. These models show that investment in sports can reshape a nation’s identity, unite its people, and inspire a generation, and they have achieved these massive advancements without compromising their religious identity or cultural values.
Entertainment is another underexplored engine of transformation in Northern Nigeria. The region is rich with stories, music, languages, fashion, humor, and cinematic potential, yet lacks the ecosystem that converts cultural wealth into economic value. With the right investment in film villages, creative studios, music recording centers, digital content hubs, and talent development programs, young creatives in the North could build a thriving industry that stands confidently alongside Nollywood and the global entertainment industry.
The rise of Turkish cinema and the explosion of the Gulf film industry, especially in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, offer powerful examples. These regions harnessed culture, faith-friendly storytelling, and modern technology to build entertainment sectors that now attract global audiences. Northern Nigeria’s cultural identity is strong enough to do the same and tell its own stories to the world.
Technology completes the triangle of transformation the region desperately needs. In a world where digital innovation drives employment, education, governance, and global competition, Northern Nigeria cannot afford to remain on the sidelines. Technology provides opportunities that transcend geography, ethnicity, and economic status. Digital skills, software development, robotics, animation, cybersecurity, and tech entrepreneurship offer pathways that can lift millions out of poverty and reduce the appeal of crime and extremist ideologies.
Muslim-majority countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia are global examples of how investment in technology can rapidly expand opportunities for young people while strengthening national security. Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project and the UAE’s digital economy blueprint demonstrate how tech-driven development can inspire a generation, reduce unemployment, and reduce the vulnerability of young people to manipulation by violent groups, all while maintaining strong religious values and preserving Islamic cultural identity.
When sport, entertainment, and technology are combined, they produce a powerful ripple effect that transforms societies. They create new industries, strengthen social belonging, promote mental well-being, and provide safe spaces for young people to thrive. They also shift the social mindset from survival to innovation, from frustration to purpose, and from insecurity to stability. Northern Nigeria has the population advantage, cultural depth, and youthful energy needed to lead this transformation, but it requires deliberate policy, visionary leadership, and targeted investment.
The truth remains clear: Northern Nigeria’s youth are not a threat—they are an untapped asset. However, the region cannot overcome insecurity or achieve lasting prosperity unless it creates visible opportunities that compete with the temptations of crime and violence. Massive investment in sport, entertainment, and technology offers the most practical, realistic, and future-focused solution. It provides the region with modern tools for empowerment, platforms for creativity, and systems that channel youthful adrenaline into ambition instead of destruction.
For Northern Nigeria to break free from cycles of insecurity and stagnation, it must invest boldly in the sectors that inspire, engage, and uplift its young people. The world has shown that nations rise not by suppressing the energy of their youth but by harnessing it. The time to make that choice is NOW!