By Tayo Ogunseye
GTI, the strategic partner to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), has defended its role in transforming the structure and financial stability of Nigeria’s top-flight football league, following the signing of a $7.5 million, three-season title sponsorship deal with Polish company Euromatch.
The landmark agreement, which makes Euromatch the NPFL’s title sponsor, was highlighted by GTI as evidence of growing confidence in the league and the structures put in place since the financial institution began its partnership with the NPFL in 2022.
Speaking at a media parley, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abubakar Lawal, said the arrival of a European company as a title partner was a validation of the work undertaken by the organisation over the past five seasons.
“We are used to criticism. That’s the way of Nigeria. The facts speak for themselves; even the blind can see,” Lawal said.
“We have been on this journey since 2022. This is the fifth season. All the promises we made, we have delivered on them. What’s more?”
According to him, GTI’s approach has been to create a sustainable financial structure capable of supporting the league rather than relying solely on conventional sponsorship arrangements.
“This is a project that’s been funded by the structure that we built.The Nigeria Football Fund was created intentionally and was structured and sanctioned by the Securities and Exchange Commission and all the other regulators in the financial market to ensure transparency and governance.”
Lawal maintained that GTI’s activities have been conducted within the framework of the relevant financial regulations, adding that the company had met its financial commitments to the clubs.
“Everything we have done has been in line with the rules. Today, we are not indebted to any of the clubs or in any of our commitments. We have delivered on all fronts,” he stated.
He further described the Euromatch agreement as a significant milestone for the NPFL, noting that the league had secured a title partner for the first time in 15 years.
“We have exceeded our expectations. This is our fifth season and, for the first time, we are having a title partner in the last 15 years,” Lawal said.
The $7.5 million agreement with Euromatch represents a major commercial development for the NPFL and is expected to strengthen the league’s financial position over the three-year period.
For GTI, the deal is also being presented as a vindication of its strategy of building a structured financial ecosystem around the domestic league, with the company insisting that the increasing interest from international commercial partners demonstrates the value of the reforms undertaken since 2022.
He called on the media to keep giving extensive coverage to the league.
