GTI Group pledges to build strong Nigeria football economy with NPFL

Abubakar Lawal, the Group Managing Director of GTI Investment said that football loving Nigerians are about to witness strong football economy through the investment of GTI Group in the Nigeria Professional Football League during the presentation of N200million grant to the 20 ropflight clubs in Abuja on Thursday.

Nigeria Football Federation and the Interim Management Committee have secured N10 billion sponsorship deal with GTI Group for Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), the first of its kind in the nation’s history.

Each of the topflight clubs received a take-off grant of N10 million and Lawal assures the NPFL will be transformed into a unique national sports asset that creates an opportunity for the key stakeholders and the general public.

“The ambition is to let us build a football economy in which case our footballers will not be running into football slavery. I was told that some Nigerian footballers are somewhere in Sudan, that is absurd, we are going to put a cake to that, we are going to bake a bigger cake for everybody,” Lawal told media.

“Nigerian football is supposed to be such that will be having a direct impact on the Nigerian GDP, the sporting ecosystem which is now a serious business. We are strategic partners with the NPFL, we are solution providers.

“We are investment bankers and what we have done today with the Federal Government through the Sports Ministry and by extension the NFF has finally put  a framework and structure that will drive the domestic league to a very vibrant football economy, that is the whole concept.

“So, we came with a solution and that is what has been approved, what that does is that liquidity will be brought to the ecosystem, we are going to see enhancement of professionalism, we are going to see a tomorrow of an economy that all stakeholders are going to be happy with.”

He noted further that it is proper to implement sports policy that will energise the business environment, citing Nigeria as a highly revered football nation, having once ranked 5th in the world by FIFA.

“Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa, why should Nigerian football be in the limbo, if you recall in time past, we used to be number 5 FIFA rated country in the world, Nigeria is a footballing nation, so what happened?

“The whole essence is we are putting a structure, liquidity, serious governance and discipline. The kind of structure we are going to deploy is the best in the world, and there is no nation that have been able to try what we are trying now.

“Thankfully, the Minister, NFF President and the whole ecosystem have seen it and the only way we can go is up.

“Part of this push is what led to the Nigerian sports policy, that was a great effort that was put together and we must appreciate the Sports Minister on what he has been able to do in that regards, apart from that policy, football and sports are now serious business and what that suggests now is that investors all over the world should come to Nigeria now and invest.

“What makes an ecosystem thick is when you have talents, structure and market,” he concluded.

The match day one fixtures of the NPFL new season will kick off on January 8, 2023 with the star game between Akwa United and newly promoted Bendel Insurance of Benin at Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo.