September 15, 2026 by
Brila Media CEO Debbie Izamoje Okolie joins African sports business leaders in Kigali
Brila Media Group Chief Executive Officer Debbie Izamoje Okolie joined sports executives, investors, policymakers, federation officials, and media leaders from across Africa at the third edition of the SportsBiz Africa Forum in Kigali, Rwanda
The forum, held at the Kigali Convention Centre from September 10 to 11, focused on the business, investment and development of sport across the continent
Organised under the auspices of the African Union Sports Council and the Rwanda Events Group, the forum opened on Wednesday, September 9, with a ministerial roundtable themed “The Link Between Business and Sport in Service of Africa’s Development.”
The roundtable brought together sports ministers from across the continent, development institutions and private-sector leaders
Okolie featured on the Day One plenary, “Women Powering Africa’s Sports Economy”, which examined the growing role of women in shaping the business of sport through media, commercial partnerships, executive leadership and grassroots development
The session brought together women leaders from across the sports industry to discuss their contributions to Africa’s sports economy and their increasing influence in leadership, business, media and decision-making
As CEO of Brila Media Group, Okolie brought to the discussion her experience at the intersection of sports, media, audiences and commercial partnerships within Nigeria’s sports market
She was one of three Nigerians invited by the Rwandan government and the African Union to the forum
Under her leadership, Brila Media has expanded beyond traditional sports broadcasting into digital content, sports storytelling, commercial partnerships and audience engagement
Her participation therefore highlighted the role of sports media in connecting audiences, brands and sporting properties as Africa’s sports industry attracts growing interest from investors and other stakeholders
The forum examined areas including sports business and investment, policy and governance, media and broadcasting, technology, talent development, women in sports business and esports
The discussions also highlighted the growing role of women across the sports value chain as athletes, administrators, executives, media professionals, entrepreneurs, investors and decision-makers
For Nigeria, Okolie’s participation provided an opportunity to bring the experience of an established sports media organisation into the wider continental conversation on the future of the industry
Her contribution further highlighted the role of media organisations in growing audiences, creating commercial value and strengthening connections between fans, brands and sporting properties
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Debbie Izamoje Okolie