Sport Infrastructure in Africa: BBC World News interviews ACG founder Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard on the transformation ahead

In an interview with BBC World News, African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com) Founder and Executive Chairman Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard set out the case for transforming Africa's sport infrastructure - arguing that the continent's sport economy potential will remain theoretical without the right infrastructure, and that the model needed is not the isolated stadium but the integrated, multi-purpose sport and entertainment district.

Africa's population of 1.5 billion is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050 and its sport economy is projected to reach $20-billion by 2035. Yet, as Pompigne-Mognard told the BBC, this potential will remain theoretical without the infrastructure to support it. So far, he noted, Africa has produced "white elephants" - stadiums built for a single event, empty the rest of the year and draining public finance.

The capital to close this infrastructure gap already exists, Pompigne-Mognard told the BBC. Development finance institutions have substantial resources allocated for African infrastructure but that capital is not being deployed at scale because bankable projects are not being brought forward. ACG has been established specifically to close that gap, by originating integrated, multi-purpose, multi-sport district ecosystems that combine stadiums with restaurants, cinemas, conference centres, malls, gyms and schools - alive 365 days a year, generating revenue on both event and non-event days.

The interview also addressed ACG's Advisory Board rollout, which has attracted senior figures from across global sport including former FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura and Carlos Carrión, advisor on the €600-million renovation of Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. As Pompigne-Mognard explained, each Advisory Board member brings a specific set of skills, and all are aligned on a shared conviction: Africa's sport economy potential cannot be reached without the right infrastructure.

Piers Edwards (BBC)

Finally, is the staging of sports events in Africa set to change? In recent days, a company called the African Collaborations Group has been announcing some notable figures on its advisory board. The group wants to bring together different parties to fundamentally change the way in which the continent hosts sport. Franco-Gabonese Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard is both founder and executive chairman.

Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard

Africa has 1.5 billion people today, projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. Its sports economy is projected to reach 20 billion dollars by 2035. But without sport infrastructure, that potential will remain entirely theoretical.

And so far, Africa has only produced what are referred to as white elephants, stadiums built for one event, empty the rest of the year and draining public finance.

But the capital to fix this actually exists. On one side, you have development financial institutions with billions allocated for African infrastructure that they cannot deploy simply because no one is bringing them bankable projects.

On the other side, you have governments who have the political will. And then you have the sport governing bodies who have the demand. They want to organise competitions across the continent and they are looking for African countries to host those competitions. But for lack of infrastructure, they cannot do that.

And so we think completely differently. The way we have structured our concept is to think about a multi-purpose, multi-sport, not stadium but district.

So yes, you do have a stadium but as part of an entire ecosystem including restaurants, cinema, conference centre, mall, gym …

We are even talking about schools, etc., to make sure that district is alive 365 days a year, never goes dark. And that's how you build an ecosystem, an entire economy.

Piers Edwards (BBC)

You've brought some big names on board. And one of the biggest, of course, is Fatma Samoura, who was the former Secretary General at FIFA. I saw also that you had an individual who was involved in the renovation project for the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, obviously around Madrid's home ground. That's quite some expertise to have on board.

Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard

Well, all the members of the advisory board are on that advisory board for a reason. Each one of them has a specific set of skills.

And each one of them is aligned on the fact that, yes, there is a huge potential for the business of sport, for the economy of sport in Africa.

But for all of them, it is absolutely obvious that without the right infrastructure, we'll never reach that potential.