Kenya’s Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Bishop Dr. Joseph Warui, has met Arsenal Fan TV founder and chief executive Robbie Lyle to discuss how African football can reach a bigger audience around the world.
The meeting took place in London on Tuesday, August 12.
It followed Lyle’s recent trip to Kenya in May where he experienced the country’s lively football atmosphere.
While in Nairobi, he joined thousands of fans at an Arsenal watch party at Konqa254, met Football Kenya Federation President Hussein Mohammed, and spoke with Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti about developing grassroots and women’s football.
Dr. Warui said Lyle’s interest in showcasing African talent to a worldwide audience is an important step towards correcting what they both see as an imbalance in the way African leagues are broadcast.
He believes African football has the passion, skill and energy to attract the same global following as other major leagues.
Lyle, whose AFTV channel has more than 1.7 million subscribers and close to 1.7 billion views, has long spoken about giving African football stories the same space in the media as Europe’s top competitions.
Their talks also looked ahead to the African Digital Economy Summit which will be held in Nairobi in February.
The event will bring together leaders from YouTube, TikTok and other major platforms to help young African creators earn from their work, highlight Africa’s growing online audience, and promote positive and impactful content.
According to Dr. Warui, social media is more than just a source of entertainment.
It is a powerful economic tool and Africa must claim its fair share in the global digital economy.
Lyle said his visit to Kenya gave him a clear view of the passion of African football fans and the determination of young players.
He believes it is time the rest of the world saw what African football has to offer.
