Sports Goods and counterfeiting
Search And Groom is focused towards helping in building a Nigerian society with respect for qualitative life and attendant accessories and originalit
About You
Location
Project Street Address
Project City
Project Province/State
Project Postal/Zip Code
Project Country
Your idea
Sport
Other
Year the initative began (yyyy)
2001
YouTube Upload
Project URL (include HTTP://)
Positioning of your initiative on the mosaic diagram:
Which of these barriers is the primary focus of your work?
Stereotyping that excludes
Which of the principles is the primary focus of your work?
Use sport to build character
If you believe some other barrier or principle should be included in the mosaic, please describe it and how it would affect the positioning of your initiative in the mosaic:
This field has not been completed
Name Your Project
Sports Goods and counterfeiting
Describe Your Idea
Search And Groom is focused towards helping in building a Nigerian society with respect for qualitative life and attendant accessories and originalit
Innovation
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence?
Search And Groom is focused towards helping in building a Nigerian society with respect for qualitative life and attendant accessories and originalit
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field?
Nigeria being a developing economy but with the biggest potential in Africa and just out of decades of military rule and patronage system, with the attendant social problems associated with such, facilities are however in short supply; this has not in anyway dissuaded the populace in participating in sport. Without doubt, football is unofficially the third religion after Christianity and Islam. It is the Joy, hope, faith and soul of Nigeria.
It is pertinent to note that the goods and services imported from abroad are actual imitations of the original and seemingly substandard. Despite the love and thirst for the purchase of standard and original products by Nigerians, it has been an extremely difficult exercise reducing and or curbing of activities of a few disgruntled importers who simply make the attendant gains of patronizing a structured business environment to thrive.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change?
Counterfeit sports products which benefits an extremely few clan whilst the consumers do not gain at all from the expected naturally created business-consumer chain.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing?
Setting up forums for enlightment/interaction and an agenda with the enforcement agencies in Nigeria on copyright and counterfeit to bring down the high rate on infringement on patent and intellectual right/property.
There should not be much problem organizing this programme in view of an existing partnership between Search and Groom and Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission through it’s civil society interface; “Fix Nigeria Initiative”.
Further strategies involving state/regional conferences, seminars, media roundtable and specially created programmes with football as the fulcrum with arts and other social communicative components serving as a support strategy for below-the –line activities to reach the nooks and crannies of Nigeria .
How do you plan to grow your innovation?
With the planned get-together programmes and interactive forums, educational events centered on the essence of understanding the basics of corporate governance and belief in seeking a legitimate quality content and control.
Making this a long term plan naturally will encourage foreign investors in actively participating in the economic development of Nigeria. This no doubt will be the attraction as for sure investments in the Nigerian economy will create job opportunities and further reduce the pressure on the unemployment market.
The multiplier effect is economic prosperity.
In order to achieve this Herculean task, massive grassroots campaigns and below-the-line measures and routes will be adopted.
Impact
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact.
To provide a benchmark and a rewarding and mutually gainful socio-economic rapport between the private/corporate sector and the populace.
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries?
We have been able to bring confidence and self esteem to our target groups which include, homeless, young and vulnerable Nigerians.
This we have done with our campaigns in the area of AIDS/HIV awareness, citizenship responsibility and community regeneration.
Our slogan; partnership for opportunities has far gone into being a religion honoured with all due and deserved commitment.
How many people have you served directly?
We have served diligently over the last six years, Ajegunle, Agege, Abesan and recently Ikeja communities, all in the suburbs of Lagos, Nigeria, with our various programmes which involve kids within the 8 – 15 and 16 and above age brackets.
Events such as the pilot phase of the street league “FREE KICK” which got funding support from FIFA “Football For Hope” and the Street Soccer League Cup, also funded by FIFA “Football For Hope” has attracted up to 3, 000 adult participants at various times of running. The kids within the age bracket 8 – 15 numbering up to 5, 000 have had the opportunity of participating in Holiday programmes, Children’s day programmes and the annual marking of the world AIDS day.
The players within the age 16 and above have had the opportunity of playing in two editions of the Homeless World Cup (Cape Town and Copenhagen) and the impression on the participants has been monumental.
How many people have you served indirectly?
Search and Groom has served the communities where we operate from indirectly and this is up to a million inhabitants in all. This is achieved through our programmes which have a strong link to community service being a pre-requisite of participating in our activities. Theses have brought pride in the participants being associated with his/her community a non-existent attitude prior to the formation of the project in Nigerians. Through our work in Lagos, we have successfully highlighted and raised awareness on the issue and classes of Homelessness in Nigeria. A topic, which was never considered a serious issue as the main staple had been talks on the people who basically sleep on the street. Prior to this, no one considered squatters as homeless people.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation?
Persuasive means through constant dialogue and enforcement of the outcomes of all resolutions of the meetings and seminars.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact?
Convincing and lobbying policy makers to endorse a legislation that will discourage counterfeit products and movements around the country to sensitize the populace could be a major barrier.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)?
The project is financed in cash and kind with voluntary work and private funding from the governing council members. Partnering with major organizations within the civil society and within the ambience of expertise has been the hallmark of the organization
If known, provide information on your finances and organization.
What is the potential demand for your innovation?
A programme of this nature is long overdue in Nigeria in view of the large population (120 million) and the attendant benefit of allowing original products sales to thrive which further rolls back social investment from such producers. Starting and sustaining the war on counterfeit sports products is a sure bet on allowing the gains of corporate governance rule over the consumers and society at large.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability?
The main barriers are sustained financial support for this programme over the vast land and people of Nigeria who are expected to gain awareness on the various attached programmes to the theme.
Impressing all stakeholders especially the government and policy makers to partner this initiative could be a big barrier that is however surmountable with a sustained campaign.
One other major barrier could be the loss of faith or non belief in the workability of Nigeria by multinational corporations a
The Story
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story.
The Project was created out of the urge to give meaning and quality life to youths in Ajegunle, a socio-economically disadvantaged community where I grew up.
The need to build a strong last long and self sustainable communities and Citizenship responsibility and the environmental factors militating against the development of the Nigerian child, including AIDS/HIV, Civic duties and community responsibility.
As a T.V producer and presenter, I have learnt over the years that anyone within this field of endeavour is considered an authority either in personal opinion or facts. Touring major Nigerian cities and a few African countries while producing a magazine African Football programme (FRONTROW) in Nigeria, I found out that the game is more than a passion. It is a religion, with a large discipleship drawn from the Christian, Muslim and Traditional faiths. During football games involving the national team, the Super Eagles, you will never notice the difference in personal beliefs and cultural background of Nigerians; it is a monumental driving and uniting force. One case in hand was when Enyimba football club of Aba, was aiming to win for the first time the African Champions League; the equivalent of the UEFA Champions League. Enyimba a team from the Igbo speaking eastern part of Nigeria was playing Ismaila of Egypt in the final, but as much as Nigerians (a country of over 50 languages) know this team is “our team” and we can not go for anything less than a win.
I can go on
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material.
I bagged a National Diploma (Business Administration and Management) at the prestigious Yaba College of Technology, (1994) Lagos.
I was a contributor to the Sports weekly tabloid, SPORTS SPECTACULAR in 1993-1994.
I had stints as an intern (Personnel & Administration) at Niger Insurance Plc, Lagos and also appointed sports editor of the Company’s quarterly magazine (1991 & 1994).
I worked as a Freelance Broadcast Journalist (Sports Presenter and Producer) with Radio Nigeria, now defunct Nigeri
How did you hear about this contest and what is your main incentive to participate? (this is confidential)
I heard about this when i attended the Sport for Social Change workshop in Namibia with my trip funded by NIKE/CARE.
Affiliation (please list all that apply)
Streetfootballworld
Homeless World Cup
 | 235 weeks agoKevin Carroll said: Kevin Carroll Changemakers Featured Commentator Sport for a Better World Competition Yomi, the challenges you face with bad ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 235 weeks agoYomi Kuku said: We use football (for now) as a basic form of attraction in addressing basic social issues militating against development in the suburban ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 235 weeks agoYomi Kuku said: Fighting the counterfeits scourge and it's gang apparently puts in some justified income into sports and youth development in Nigeria. ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 235 weeks agoTyler Ahn said: Hi Yomi, you allude to this link between the counterfeiting business and gangsters very quickly in your entry, could you provide some ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
| 236 weeks agoDana Frasz said: Hello Yomi, Could you give more description as to how you are using sports in your work? Also, I encourage you to check out the ... about this Competition Entry. - read more > |
