If I become President, Nigeria won’t miss World Cup for eight years – Sowore

African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has promised to transform Nigeria into a major global sports hub and ensure the Super Eagles qualify for every FIFA World Cup during his eight-year tenure if elected in 2027, making the pledge while participating in the 2026 Enugu City International Marathon on Saturday.

As reported by Vanguard, Sowore — running the 10-kilometre race for the second consecutive year — said sports represented a significant economic opportunity Nigeria was failing to exploit. “There’s a big economy out there that is known as the sports economy. We call it the orange economy. It’s an economic model that, if well-developed, can bring more money than oil,” he said.

Citing Brazil and Kenya as models, Sowore questioned why Nigeria’s 200 million population had not produced dominant long-distance runners, and pledged to develop sports infrastructure across all disciplines.

He also clarified that a 10-kilometre race is technically not a marathon, noting a full marathon covers 42 kilometres.