In a strategic move to enhance the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) assets, GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited is making concerted efforts to attract more investors to its innovative initiative, The Nigeria Football Fund (TNFF). This mutual fund, launched at the Stock Exchange Commission (SEC), aims to financially bolster the growth of Nigerian football, reports MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN
According to GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited, the TNFF is designed to transform Nigerian football into a profitable enterprise and a national asset. In pursuit of this goal, GTI recently convened key stakeholders from the NPFL, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), and various media agencies in Lagos to discuss the football economy and strategies to promote the NPFL nationwide.
According to NPFL chairman, Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, GTI’s involvement is crucial for the league’s revival. He acknowledged that the NPFL had faced significant challenges in the past but assured stakeholders of a renewed commitment to transparency and reform, essential for attracting investment.
“ GTI is God-sent to the NPFL,” NPFL chairman, Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, said matter-of-factly, assuring that with constant reforms and transparency, the domestic league would in no distant future becomes financially viable and stable.
He continued: “For investors to come into the system, there must be transparency. “When StarTimes came, they wanted a 10 year deal but we insisted on a shorter period in order to prove our worth.
“Now, the world can see that we are capable of running a quality league.”
Elegbeleye highlighted the importance of discipline within the league, stating that strict measures have been implemented for referees and clubs to ensure fairness, which has improved the league’s competitive nature.
“Any referee found guilty of misconduct will be sanctioned immediately. Likewise, any club that fails to comply with league rules will lose points. For instance, Kano Pillars lost three points after breaching the rules. These steps have helped restore sanity and discipline in our league,” he said.
He also noted a significant increase in the prize money for league champions, rising from ₦100 million to ₦200 million, demonstrating a commitment to rewarding excellence in Nigerian football. Furthermore, he emphasized the vital role of media in conveying positive narratives about the league, which can facilitate discussions on media rights and attract sponsors.
“Without journalists, we would not be here,” Elegbeleye further said. “You have projected our league to a confident level and with more positive engagements on the league, investors will take us seriously.”
Nelson Ine, Executive Director at GTI, stressed the necessity for collective investment in the NPFL through the TNFF, referencing the extensive reach of Nigerian football, with approximately 380 matches held annually across various locations.
“ We have to pull together for the survival of NPFL and ultimately, the Nigerian football economy,” the well-versed Ine said.“ But if you don’t invest, you can’t expect.
“But we can all invest (in TNFF) today and reap bountifully in the future.”
He said with Nigeria’s huge population, sponsors and advertisers can take advantage of reaching out to the masses through the FRCN live commentaries for instance.
“ Though we all agreed that ‘football is Nigeria and Nigeria is football’ because of the deep emotional attachment to the game yet the NPFL has no single big sponsor and even a small African country, Tanzania, has invested about $12 million USD for five years on their league ,” he said.
He called on both individuals and corporations to seize the investment opportunity presented by the TNFF and highlighted Nigeria’s large population as an advantage for potential sponsors and advertisers.
He added: “At GTI, we have accepted to be the ‘burden bearer’ with the launch of the TNFF and it’s about time individuals and Corporate Nigeria, stand up to invest in the NPFL. In tears and pains, we are doing this because we believe that if we don’t stand up, who is going to stand up for Nigerian football as we are currently doing for the NPFL and The President Federation Cup.
“ Our media agencies, have a lot of work to do because this league, NPFL, is your responsibility and it’s you that can intervene with advertisers and investors because if you continue to tell them positive stories about the league, they would come and invest in the league.”
The management of FRCN is also on board, promising to utilize its extensive network to promote the NPFL and benefit advertisers. They are broadcasting match commentaries in multiple Nigerian languages to engage a broader audience.
Meanwhile, Chief Davidson Owumi, a former Nigerian international and Chief Operating Officer of NPFL, underscored the progress made in the league, pointing to positive statistics from the recent season and the ongoing commitment to quality refereeing and fair play.
“Just this past season (2024/2025), out of the 380 matches played, we had a total of 784 goals scored and we had 286 victories out of which there were 42 away wins,” Owumi explained. “ Altogether we had 76 penalties awarded out of which 60 were scored and 16 missed and a total of 1380 yellow cards and 56 red cards were issued and this is to buttress the fact that our referees are all out there to do their job and this has really bring a lot of sanity to the game.
“ These are positive trajectory and I want to believe this can well be propagated through the Radio Nigeria Live Commentaries and the media as a whole.
“ The only thing lacking in league today is sponsorship but we have to thank GTI for bearing the burden of investing hugely in the NPFL,” added Owumi.
In conclusion, GTI and its partners are dedicated to revitalizing the NPFL, with a clarion call to investors to support their local football scene. The GTI leadership is optimistic about the potential success of the TNFF and the overall improvement of the league, expressing a strong belief in the need for local commitments to advance Nigerian football.
Quipped the Group Managing Director/CEO of GTI, Alhaji Abubakar Lawal:“ When we started, the language then was that ‘it was not possible’ and ‘what are you guys trying to do’.. and that ‘Nigeria would happen to you’ but we said ‘ if we don’t do it (investing in the NPFL), who would do it?.. if we (GTI) don’t stand up for Nigeria, who will do it?
“We are Nigerians and nobody from outside is going to do this (investing in our football) for us, let’s all take the baton and I believe, we are going to win,” he noted
