Nigerian singer, songwriter and record executive Oluwatosin Ajibade, popularly known by his stage name Mr Eazi.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Citizen Digital, the musician, who serves as an ambassador for betPawa's Locker Room Bonus (LRB) programme, said Africa must move beyond treating sports sponsorship as charity and begin recognising the commercial potential of its athletes.

For Mr Eazi, the challenge is not necessarily a shortage of talent, but the absence of structures that allow athletes to earn a sustainable living from their abilities.

"Talent without organization, structure, is a struggle," he said, drawing parallels between his experience in the music industry and his growing involvement in sports.

The Locker Room Bonus programme rewards athletes directly for their performances, with payments sent to their mobile money wallets or bank accounts shortly after matches.

According to Mr Eazi, more than 6,000 athletes have benefited from the initiative, which has expanded across several African countries and sporting disciplines, including football, basketball and volleyball.

However, he believes the programme's greatest contribution could extend beyond the money paid to players.

"I'd say it is even more impactful, or it is as impactful as the money," he said, referring to the professionalisation of sporting competitions through technology and improved data collection.

He explained that participating leagues are increasingly required to submit match results, team selections and player information digitally, creating records that could help attract investors and improve accountability.

The musician argued that reliable sporting data could encourage more businesses to invest in African leagues by allowing sponsors to track how their money is spent and measure the impact of their contributions.

He also challenged the perception that sports investment should primarily be driven by goodwill, noting that successful sporting industries elsewhere have demonstrated the economic value of organised competition.

Mr Eazi cited Kenya's international reputation in athletics as an example of how sporting excellence can shape a country's global identity and generate opportunities beyond the field of competition.

On the question of player welfare, he maintained that performance-based bonuses could help athletes meet essential expenses, including nutrition, training and other costs associated with maintaining competitive standards.

He also suggested that improving financial rewards could reduce the vulnerability of poorly paid athletes to match-fixing.

"The more professional a league is, the more reward you bring to the players, the less likely it is for match fixing," he said.

Mr Eazi further argued that African athletes should be able to build sustainable careers within their home countries rather than depending entirely on opportunities abroad.

While acknowledging the importance of international exposure, he noted that not every talented player will secure a contract on the global stage.

Those who remain in domestic leagues, he said, should still have opportunities to earn a decent living through sport.

The programme also extends to women's competitions, an aspect Mr Eazi believes could contribute to addressing longstanding disparities in African sports.

He linked the growth of women's sports to improved organisation, visibility and access to reliable performance data, arguing that stronger structures could help attract audiences and commercial investment.

With Locker Room Bonus expanding its footprint, Mr Eazi said the immediate priority is to strengthen existing operations, particularly the use of technology to capture match information and facilitate transparent payments.

He also expressed optimism about attracting additional sponsors to the programme, saying its structure could allow investors to support athletes directly while monitoring how their contributions are distributed.

Reflecting on his transition from music into sports investment, Mr Eazi said the two industries share more similarities than he initially expected.

In both fields, he observed, talent alone is rarely sufficient without proper management, financial support and systems that protect performers' interests.

For the Afrobeats star, building those structures could be the difference between Africa producing exceptional sporting talent and developing an industry capable of sustaining it.