A lawyer and football lover, Tunji Brown blazed the trail in indigenous sportswear manufacturing in Nigeria about 12 years ago. Faced with expected challenges, Owu Sportswear, his firm, has surmounted to kit a good number of NPFL teams, the NPFL All Star team and the Handball and Squash national teams, writes Taiwo Alimi.
Speaking with Sport & Style recently, the staunch supporter of 3SC from childhood when it was called IICC Shooting Stars said his love for the round leather game led him to sportswear production. “I’ve always love sport, football in particular. And I’ve always loved been a lawyer. But, my coming into sportswear business is not accidental. It was based on my love for the round leather game.
“In 2005, I wanted to know why we had so many brands that were doing shirt branding for a lot of these European clubs that are also in Nigeria but not branding Nigerian team shirt. So, I did a letter to Nike, adidas, Umbro and Hummel. And the only response I got is from Hummel, then. They said they have given their franchise to Emmanuel Ibru and I should get in touch with him. So, I did just that but nothing came from it.
“As time went on, I decided to look at the option that were available to me and that is how I decided to set up a sports consulting firm. Eventually, after I had an accident on December 4, 2007, God gave me a revelation that why don’t I start my own brand. That is how Owu Sportswear came about and the rest is history today, added Brown.
He is however quick to point out that the firm has not achieved much of its set out goal. “I cannot say I have achieved my goal. All I have been able to do is to carve a niche for myself in sportswear brand. But, we have greater ambition. We have not gone into Africa, despite the fact that we have made inroad into Europe, based on the NPFL All Star team, which actually publicized us and made us known to the world that there is actually a brand in Nigeria and also the kitting of the Nigeria Handball Federation that we partner with them last year. They have taken our brand to Spain, Macedonia, the All Africa games and so many other places. I will say we are just starting. Until, maybe get into many African countries, I will say we have not achieved our aims. But, we will keep on trying. God willing we will get there someday.”
But for his doggedness, Owu Sportswear would have gone down under the weight of problems orchestrated by pioneering challenges. “The biggest challenge that we have had is sourcing of fabric. There is no textile mill in Nigeria that specializes in sports shirt and due to this sourcing and getting the right technology for the kind of fabric that we need. This is also taking into consideration that we do not have a textile lab where we could carry out test and other things, and it has actually created one problem or the other. But, we have to keep on trying. And when you consider that when we are importing fabric into Nigeria, we have to pay 51 percent duty, it has not been easy. Twelve to 13 years in this business has taught us a lesson which we would continue to learn.”
Yet, the teething lessons have come to bear on the quality of its sports shirts going into 13 years in business. “In terms of quality, I want to say that we are doing our best based on the available resources. Based on these facts all our fabrics are imported from China and Pakistan and we are still able to meet the demands of our clients. The years back, we were producing cut and stitch designs but for the past two years, we have been able to acquire state of the art sublimation machines, which looking at the jerseys that we produce last two seasons for Akwa United, Rivers United, Osun United, Gateway and Sunshine Stars, you will see that there is serious improvement in the quality of our jerseys.” 
On top of its dreams, Brown said is to someday be the kit sponsor of the Super Eagles of Nigeria. “We actually have a plan that in the nearest future, we’ll be listed on the Nigeria stock market and we are gradually getting close. And you know that for us to be able to say that we want to be listed it means that we must have gone a long way and as such in terms of the Super Eagles, when the opportunity comes, we are putting ourselves in the position to be able to grab it with both hands. Don’t forget that you don’t just kit national teams, you pay national teams to wear your kits.
“The resources for such venture are not available right now. Maybe, when we get into the stock market that will be possible because that would be one of the biggest achievement that we can aim for as a sportswear brand, which is to kit the national team of your country, which is the Super Eagles. We are presently doing it with the Handball and Squash federations, and one or two other associations, but I know we are going to get their soonest.”
On the flip side, Brown’s love for the Ibadan based 3SC is not negotiable. “My favourite team has always been IICC Shooting Stars, now 3SC. Nothing can change that love. But, based on my relationship with the teams I kit, we have special interest in them and any time they have a game we try to see them. I am from Ekiti, but, I grew up in Ibadan supporting 3SC of Ibadan. Internationally, I am an Arsenal fan and it runs very deep.” It does not matter if these childhood teams are no longer title contenders in their countries.
Such is the devotion, commitment and doggedness of Brown to sportswear business, which he sees as a calling and hopes to take highest height, soon.
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