Strategic partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited has called on Individuals, Philanthropists and Corporate Nigeria to take advantage of the ongoing revolution that elite club football is undergoing in the country to invest into these professional league clubs.
GTI/TNFF Head of Media and
Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, told sport journalists in Lagos that the coming of
GTI into the country’s football ecosystem has paved way for elite club football
to thrive.
He further revealed that
after the successful hosting of 2022/2023 Nigeria Premier Football League
(NPFL) Championship Play-offs and the just concluded Naija
Super 8 pre-season tourney, at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena
Onikan, Lagos, has clearly demonstrated that the upcoming NPFL season is going
to be keenly contested with massive followership for each of the 20 clubs
expected to do battle.
“This is a clarion call GTI
is making to individuals, philanthropists and Corporate Nigeria to take
advantage of the ongoing revolution that elite club football is witnessing in
the country and invest in them.
“There is nowhere in the
world that government is saddled with the responsibility of elite club
ownership because it is capital intensive and pure business. From the English
Premiership, German Bundesliga, South African Premier League and Italia Serie A
the story remains the same.
“Government at all levels can
only involve themselves in elite club football by creating conducive and
secured environment for club football to thrive. Nothing more!
“From the Local Government
Area level to State and Federal levels, government do have a lot in their
hands, like taking care of the welfare of its citizens and for those who
venture into club football in Nigeria only use it for political aggrandizement
which is not good for football development in the country,” Ekejiuba stated.
Also, GTI and major broadcast
partner of the league, Propel Sports Africa, has stepped up preparations ahead
of the new season as production equipment to be used for the OTT live streaming
of matches is expected to arrive in the country very soon.
Ekejiuba, revealed that the
equipment will come into the country at a record time to enable Propel Sports
Africa crew commence training of cameramen, installation and testing of the
equipment at various league venues ahead of the 2023/2024 NPFL season.
It could be recalled that GTI
secured the services of Propel Sports Africa as major broadcast partner for the
NPFL and will be saddled with the services of OTT live streaming of the NPFL
matches for the upcoming season in a deal that is expected to generate a
whooping sum of $5million per season.
“The equipment to be used by
our major NPFL broadcast partner, Propel Sports Africa is expected in the
country few days from now and this has justified the good intention of GTI to
ensure that NPFL matches are streamed live this upcoming season via our mobile
devices. This development will enable NPFL’s global soccer fans to savour
Nigeria’s fast-rising league matches via their mobile devices which has never
happened before in the history of our elite league.
“The equipment which is
expected into the country includes AI cameras and sensitive production
materials that will guarantee viewers globally an opportunity to watch our
elite league seamlessly.
“By this action, GTI has
taken a step in the right direction in fulfilling its promise to football stakeholders
in the country after the successful unveiling and signing-in ceremony of Propel
Sports Africa on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at GTI Head Office in Lagos, as official
broadcast partners of NPFL.
“This development will also
help create a lot of jobs, content for the league and attract corporate brands
that will leverage on this opportunity provided by the NPFL to showcase their
goods and services. Thus, it is anticipated that the league will be able to
generate revenues over the years with the new initiative that has been
provided,” he said.
Ekejiuba also confirmed GTI’s
increment of the prize money for the champions of the upcoming 2023/2024 season
who will now receive a whooping sum of N150million (including a giant trophy),
while second and third place finishers will be handsomely rewarded financially
to appreciate their efforts. This according to Ekejiuba will raise the quality
of competitiveness among the clubs this coming season.
“The NPFL is all about the
players and GTI felt they should receive a large chunk of the dividends that
comes to the league to appreciate their efforts.
“Therefore, the 2023/2024 season will see an upward review of their prize money from N100million to N150million for the winners, while the second and third placed teams will receive financial rewards for their efforts. This became necessary in order to add more monetary value to the league and end the mass movement of our best legs to obscure leagues in some football-playing nations of the world as a result of poor remunerations,” Ekejiuba concluded.
0 comments:
Post a Comment