NPFL: GTI tasks investors on elite club ownership
By Ifeanyi Eduzor
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.
He 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 whopping 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.
