September 13, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) bid for financial independence continues as it announced a sponsorship deal with Premier Lotto Limited, making it the official bet sponsor of the Nigerian national football teams.
According to the NFF’s statement released on Monday, the deal will run for four years from September 1, 2021. The partnership with Premier Lotto brings another big player in the Nigerian market into the sponsorship fold of the football governing body’s financial structure.
Earlier this month, THEWILL reported the conclusion of a sponsorship deal between the NFF and Air Peace, an indigenous airline operator in Nigeria. The deal made Air Peace the exclusive airline sponsor of Nigeria’s national football teams in an annual and renewable deal worth N300 million for an initial four-year period.
That was closely followed by a partnership deal with South Africa-owned mobile telecommunications company, MTN, which is now the official communications partner of the national teams in a three-year deal worth N1.5 billion.
The deal with Premier Lotto will be officially announced at an event billed for the Banquet Hall of Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Monday. After that formal ceremony, Premier Lotto will officially become a part of this new family of partners and sponsors supporting the aspirations of the national football teams.
Speaking on the deal, Pinnick said: “We are very excited to finally seal this partnership with Premier Lotto. We are happy with what they are doing and the processes and checks they have put in place to ensure integrity, credibility, diligence and sustainability.
“We did our due diligence and Premier Lotto came out smelling like roses. It is a partnership that we believe will last for a long time.”
These deals have been reached with brands that have a reputation of service delivery and national spread. Some of them, like Premier Lotto, have existed for decades, growing from humble beginnings to establishing themselves as brands that can be relied on.
The deals display a willingness on the part of these brands to invest in the national teams with tremendous confidence in the NFF administration of the NFF. It helps that football continues to be a huge attraction for Nigerians, and the senior men’s and women’s teams have both striven to keep Nigeria largely competitive in the continent and beyond.
While the fortunes of the youth squads have seen a marked decline, THEWILL hopes that these investments will trickle down to the grassroots to prepare the next generation of boys and girls that will continue to fly the country’s flag in continental and international competition and bring more of such partnerships to the table for Nigeria’s football’s growth.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
