In 2022, Nicolas was appointed by then FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura as a member of the FIFA Task Force for Infrastructure Development in Africa, established to support FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s vision of accelerating FIFA-standard sport infrastructure development across the continent.

Building on that experience, I have since established African Collaborations Group (ACG) (an APO Group initiative) as a strategic project origination and collaboration platform focused on industrialising sport in Africa through bankable sport and entertainment infrastructure ecosystems.

ACG has recently been granted an Exclusive Mandate by the Office of the President of a major African country to originate and coordinate the early-stage development of a flagship Victory District™ project.

Victory District™ is not a “stadium-only” concept. We are building an investor-grade sport and entertainment district model designed to reach bankability and become a replicable blueprint. In practical terms, this means developing a district operating system that can be underwritten by institutions, including:

• an integrated mix of sport assets and complementary uses (so it works beyond matchdays),
• realistic year-round utilisation and programming,
• a sustainable operations and maintenance model,
• a clear financing and PPP/concession pathway with disciplined risk allocation, and
• a measurable impact framework (jobs, skills, inclusion, youth pathways, public value).

More information about African Collaborations Group (ACG): www.acgafrica.com