BOS Africa, Temple Company partner to develop sports business professionals

The Business of Sports Institute Africa (BOS Africa) and The Temple Company have announced a partnership to develop professional expertise and expand practical learning opportunities in Africa’s sports industry.

The partnership, announced on 14 October, will combine BOS Africa’s sports business education programmes with Temple’s experience in talent management, brand strategy, sponsorship, media, commercial partnerships and intellectual property.

Ogidi Studios, Temple’s production facility, will also contribute audiovisual production expertise and facilities to support practical learning.

Under the arrangement, the organisations will collaborate on masterclasses, workshops, executive learning programmes and industry engagements. BOS Africa will lead academic and programme development, while Temple and Ogidi Studios will provide industry expertise, practitioner engagement and practical training opportunities.

The proposed areas of focus include sponsorship proposals, athlete branding and commercial representation, endorsement deals, image-rights negotiations, sports content production, digital storytelling and the development of commercially sustainable sports organisations.

Participants are expected to engage with industry case studies, simulations, studio demonstrations and, where feasible, real-world assignments.

Terfa Tilley-Gyado, president and chief executive officer of The Temple Company, said the partnership would help connect sports business education with the commercial realities of the industry.

“Africa is not short of sporting talent. The bigger opportunity is to build the businesses, institutions, and commercial structures that let that talent create sustainable value. BOS Africa is building an important academic foundation, and Temple and Ogidi Studios can help connect that learning to the realities of the industry.”

He said the initiative would expose participants to the processes involved in securing sponsorships, managing athletes’ commercial interests and producing sports content.

“We want participants to understand how sponsorship deals are developed, how athletes are positioned commercially, how rights are protected and how compelling content is produced. Ultimately, our success should be measured not only by the number of people trained, but by the careers, businesses and opportunities they are equipped to create,” he added.

Beverley Agbakoba-Onyejianya, founder and academic director of BOS Africa, said the partnership was part of efforts to improve access to specialised sports business education and build professional capacity within African markets.

“Our mission is to make quality sports-business education more accessible and to develop the expertise Africa needs within its own markets. We cannot continue to depend primarily on institutions elsewhere to prepare professionals for every specialised area of sport. We have the talent, the ambition and a growing community of practitioners who can help us build that capacity here.”

She said collaboration with industry practitioners would help bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional practice.

ALSO READ: Nigeria targets sports economy growth through intellectual property

“Strong partnerships make that ambition achievable. Working with The Temple Company and Ogidi Studios creates new opportunities to connect learning with practical industry experience and to bring professionals and organisations across the continent together. We believe there is enormous scope to develop the people who will shape Africa’s sports economy,” she added.

The partnership will complement BOS Africa’s existing programmes, which cover sports business administration, sponsorship and marketing, sports media and broadcasting, intellectual property, and sports finance and investment.

The organisations also plan to use the collaboration to engage sports bodies, businesses, investors and policymakers in discussions on the development of Africa’s sports economy.