The Nigeria Football Fund (TNFF) is fast becoming a household name in Nigeria’s sports ecosystem but many stakeholders in the sports industry of Africa’s most populous black nation are yet to come to grasp its essence.
A visit to major stadia in the country where Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) matches are played weekly, the acronym TNFF is visibly displayed on the pitch panels, posters, billboards, flyers, books, newspapers and magazines to mention but a few, yet many are at sea when it comes to appreciating this great tool that has made its giant entry into our sporting history.
From the start of the 2022/2023 NPFL season to date, a lot has been highlighted by both local and foreign media organizations about TNFF and its benefits to our country’s football development. In the social media space, the same story abounds, as the name TNFF is synonymous with Nigerian football. To say the least, TNFF is fast garnering lots of attention it deserves in the social and financial sectors, while smart Nigerians who are aware of its benefits are seriously investing and hoping to start cashing out soon from this new ‘green oil’.
A peep into history shows that TNFF is the first of its kind in Africa and globally, thanks to the financial experts from GTI Assets Management and Trust Limited led by its Group Managing Director, Abubakar Lawal.
In the words of Lawal, “TNFF is a product of 13 years of painstaking effort and research as individuals and institutions are now positioned to reap from this specialized sports asset.”
From the foregoing, TNFF is the much-needed booster that currently drives, lubricates, facilitates and helps in the restructuring of football and sports in the country. In a jiffy, TNFF came when a new lease of life was needed when it was evident that the elite football league was almost at its comatose stage in Nigeria.
In summary, TNFF is a specialized fund that will help build and deliver a “Football Economy”, reposition Sports as a national asset contributing to Nigeria’s GDP and transform football/sports from socio-political tools to profitable business enterprises in the country. It is also a collective investment scheme that seeks to provide sustainable solutions to the challenges hindering the growth and advancement of football and other sports in Nigeria with a primary focus on creating value for all stakeholders.
From the financial experts in GTI, TNFF is an open-ended Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)-Registered Unit Trust (“Fund”) that allows ease of entry and exit by investors. Institutions and individuals are therefore encouraged to invest in this sports asset and reap bountiful returns for their investment.
However, for further clarification, Football Economy consists of football and other sporting activities measurable in statistical terms as a significant component of the nation’s Gross Domestic Products. It includes Football, Basketball, Boxing, Tennis, Athletics, Golf and Polo to mention but a few.
(To be continued in Part 2)
