The Nigerian Entrepreneur Building Africa’s Sports Economy Through Boxing, Events and Entertainment with Ezekiel Adamu
Unlocking AfricaPlay episode
Show notes
Episode 223 with Ezekiel Adamu, entrepreneur, change agent, and Group CEO of Balmoral Group, one of West Africa’s leading event and experiential companies. In this conversation, we explore how Africa can build globally competitive sports and entertainment industries that drive economic growth, create jobs, and position cities like Lagos as international event destinations.
Ezekiel shares how his journey from the United Kingdom back to Nigeria shaped his ambition to bring structure, scale, and global standards into Africa’s events industry. Through Balmoral Group and platforms like Chaos in the Ring and Friday Fight Night, he is redefining sports entertainment in Africa by creating world class boxing events, building sustainable ecosystems for athletes, and attracting global attention to the continent.
From delivering internationally broadcast boxing events to partnering with global stakeholders, he explains how Africa can shift from exporting talent to hosting major sporting events. We discuss the importance of structured systems, commercial strategy, and institutional quality platforms in unlocking investment and scaling Africa’s creative economy.
We also explores the business of sport in Africa, including how events and entertainment act as economic multipliers across tourism, hospitality, media, and youth employment. Ezekiel shares insights on building premium experiences in emerging markets, overcoming early stage challenges, and why perception plays a critical role in attracting capital to African industries.
What We Discuss With Ezekiel
How to build globally competitive sports industries in Africa and why structure matters more than talentHow Chaos in the Ring is positioning Lagos as a global boxing and sports destinationThe business of sports in Africa and how events drive tourism, jobs, and investmentThe realities of building premium event platforms in emerging marketsHow sport can unlock youth opportunity and long term economic growth across the continentDid you miss my previous episode where I discus Building Kenya’s Luxury Hospitality Industry, Nairobi’s Creative Economy, and the Future of Tourism? Make sure to check it out!
Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu
Connect with Ezekiel
LinkedIn - Balmoral Group
Instagram - eazy_adamu
Many of the businesses unlocking opportunities in Africa don’t do it alone. If you’d like strategic support on entering or expanding across African markets, reach out to our partners ETK Group:
www.etkgroup.co.uk
info@etkgroup.co.uk
