Nigerians are quite a sports-mad people and the nation loves to indulge its people. We love our football (or soccer, as the rest of the world calls it), and we take our athletics seriously. In fact, we’re so serious about our sports that some of them have turned into lucrative career options. If you’re looking to make a fortune playing sports, then look no further! In this post, we’re going to take a look at the 4 highest paying sports in Nigeria. So put on your sporting gear and get ready for some serious competition!
Football.
You’re probably not too surprised to see football at the top of this list. It is, after all, the most popular sport in Nigeria. And with billions of dollars being pumped into the industry each year, it’s also one of the highest paid.
A typical Nigerian footballer can make up to $30,000 per month in salary. Not too shabby, especially when you consider that the average Nigerian only makes about $2,000 per year. So if you’re good at kicking things, start practicing your headers – you could be raking in some serious dough soon.
Boxing.
When it comes to the highest paying sports in Nigeria, boxing is a heavyweight contender. With a whopping average salary of $2 million per fight, boxers make more than some of the biggest names in American football, basketball, and baseball.
What’s the secret to this high salary? It may have something to do with the high risk involved. Unlike other sports, boxing is a one-on-one battle between two athletes where anything can happen. This means that fans are always on the edge of their seats (or in this case, their plastic chairs) waiting to see who will come out on top.
So if you’re looking for a career that pays big bucks, put on some gloves and start training. You may just end up being the next Muhammad Ali or Floyd Mayweather.
Tennis.
Tennis is another high money raking sport. In fact, according to a recent study, the top 5 highest-paying sports in Nigeria are all variations of tennis. That’s right – you could make more money playing tennis in Nigeria than you could playing almost any other sport.
Basketball.
When it comes to earning a salary as a sportsman in Nigeria, basketball reigns supreme. Though American football, boxing, and rugby are all popular in the country, basketball offers the highest salaries by far.
A typical Nigerian basketballer can expect to earn about $10,000 per month, with bonuses for winning major tournaments or signing lucrative sponsorship deals. This may not be as much as their counterparts in the United States or Europe, but it’s still a pretty sweet deal considering the average Nigerian income is significantly less than $2,000 per year, that’s about 1.6m in Nigerian naira considering the dollar rate now(>800).
In this glorious country, we love two things more than anything else: money and sports. While there are many sports that bring in a good income, the highest-paying sports in Nigeria are football, boxing, tennis and basketball. With the right skills and training, you can make a very good living off of these sports.
