Monrovia – Christian G. Weah, a prominent football stakeholder in Liberia, has raised concerns about the current sponsorship model for the National County Sports Meet, calling for a more inclusive approach that empowers local businesses and counties.
Weah, who serves as the president of Stages Queens, a female football club under the Liberia Football Federation (LFA), and is a former chairman of the Club Presidents Association of Liberia (CPAL), argues that the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) has monopolized sponsorship opportunities for the event, limiting the involvement of local businesses and counties.
The National County Sports Meet, one of Liberia’s most prestigious sporting events, is seen as an opportunity for fostering unity, talent development, and community pride. However, Weah believes the current sponsorship structure, which is solely controlled by MYS, undermines the financial autonomy of counties and deprives them of opportunities to engage local businesses in the sponsorship process.
“We currently see the MYS securing sponsorships for the tournament and granting exclusive advertising rights on county team jerseys,” Weah said. “The revenue from these deals is centrally controlled by the Ministry, leaving counties without direct financial benefits or decision-making power. Local businesses are also excluded from advertising on their own county’s jerseys, missing a valuable promotional opportunity.”
In his statement, Weah emphasizes the need for counties to be granted the right to print their own jerseys and negotiate sponsorships directly with businesses in their communities. By doing so, counties would be able to generate their own sponsorship revenue, reducing reliance on MYS allocations.
Weah, a businessman, believes this shift would foster local economic growth, as businesses in each county would be able to advertise on team jerseys, creating a sense of community engagement and support for local enterprises.
“Allowing counties to secure their own sponsors will promote fairness and transparency. It will prevent the centralization of funds and enable a more equitable distribution of resources across the counties. Furthermore, counties will have more control over their branding, ensuring that the jerseys reflect their local culture and pride,” he said.
Weah argued that the current model hinders the counties’ potential to thrive financially, noting that a decentralized approach to sponsorship would ensure that local businesses have a chance to grow.
“For the National County Sports Meet to truly serve the interest of all counties, we need a more inclusive and decentralized approach to sponsorship. It’s time to give counties the autonomy to manage their own funding and create opportunities for local businesses to flourish,” he stated.
For the past five years, APM Terminal has provided jerseys for the National County Sports Meet, which feature the names of all sponsors. Weah’s call for change may resonate with local businesses, but it remains uncertain whether the counties, facing financial constraints, will fully embrace his proposal, especially given the financial difficulties they often encounter during the annual tournament.
Weah’s statement has been submitted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports ahead of the upcoming National County Sports Meet, with hopes that the Ministry will consider his call for a more decentralized sponsorship model.
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