BY SEGUN OLANREWAJU
Partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited, has expressed delight at the level of support and spirit of competitiveness among clubs featuring in the NPFL 2023/2024 season and also lauded the media for their coverage following the smooth kick-off of the elite league on September 30.
According to GTI Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba in Lagos on Thursday, he commended the clubs for keying into the vision of GTI regarding implementing the business aspect of the game in all its activities.
“We believe that with time the plans of the Nigeria Premier League Board will see the light of the day given the massive coverage the NPFL is receiving.
“With the take-off grant of N10 million given to each of the 20 clubs this season by GTI and many other deals secured by the various clubs, we can see that the clubs have hit the ground running which has consistently reflected on the Matchday results,” Ekejiuba enthused.
“It is not surprising to see that home teams have stepped up their game as we are yet to record a loss in that regard. The worst-case scenarios are two draws recorded by visiting teams in Matchday 1 and Matchday 2 respectively.
“Also, the 2-0 annihilation of Enyimba International of Aba in Gombe by Gombe United in Matchday 2 is an indication that the gap between the so-called big teams and the lesser ones is nonexistent this season. By implication, the N150 million prize money expected for the winning team this season, courtesy of GTI is going to be keenly contested.”
The veteran sports journalist and author commended the clubs for painstakingly going out of their way to secure shirt deals and embarking on other sponsorship drives to assist them in navigating this season and becoming financially solvent.
“The efforts of Rangers, Sporting Lagos, Remo Stars, Bendel Insurance and other clubs to secure sponsorship deals ahead of this season are quite commendable and also an indication that these clubs are gradually queuing into GTI’s quest at seeing clubs being administered as a pure business enterprise.
“Therefore, we call on the clubs and match officials to maintain the tempo as we continue to partner with Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye’s NPL Board to deliver a flawless league to our great country.
“However, GTI as a strategic partner to the NPFL is leaving no stone unturned in laying a solid foundation for the league to thrive in the country and we believe that with the way NPFL is developing and evolving, by the next few seasons the elite league in the country will rank among the best in Africa.
The visibility the elite league is currently enjoying, following the weekly live streaming of the matches on the Over-The-Top (OTT) platform, is heart-warming and a step in the right direction. Our broadcast partner Propel Sports Africa should be commended for the innovation to enhance the visibility of the NPFL matches to local and global audiences.
“The introduction of The Nigeria Football Fund (TNFF) by GTI has also brought a positive turnaround to the NPFL such that the issue of funding for our elite league is no longer a problem. The Clubs, FA, match officials and NPFL staff can give testimony to the level of support and attention given by GTI in this regard.
“It is also worthy to note that the N1 per Unit cost of TNFF at the launch of the Fund has appreciated to N1.23 per unit which depicts a positive future for the growth of the Fund. Therefore, we call again on Corporate Nigeria and individuals who love our beautiful game to invest in TNFF,” Ekejiuba concluded.
