Nationwide League One secures multi-million naira title sponsorship deal with New Year Mega Lottery

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde 

The Nationwide League One (NLO), Nigeria’s third-tier football league, has inked a groundbreaking title sponsorship deal with New Year Mega Lottery, marking a significant milestone in Nigerian football.

Announced at the prestigious Haris Hotel in Wuye, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the deal is valued at a staggering N964 million, solidifying New Year Mega Lottery as the NLO’s official title sponsor for the next four seasons.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was formalized during a signing ceremony in Abuja, with His Excellency Silas Agara, former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State and NLO Chairman, presiding over the momentous occasion.

Agara provided insights into the deal, revealing that New Year Mega Lottery, a licensed Nigerian lottery company, will inject an annual payment of 241 million Naira in cash and value in kind, totaling N964,000,000 Naira over the sponsorship duration.

Agara emphasized, “New Year Mega Lottery is a Nigerian firm and lottery company licensed by the Nigeria Lottery Commission; they will be our Title Sponsor for the NLO.” He added, “This sponsorship recognizes NLO not just as a football body but also acknowledges our position as the league with the single-biggest football talent base in Africa.”

The collaboration between NLO and New Year Mega Lottery is geared towards uplifting grassroots football in Nigeria and elevating the league’s stature as a premier Nigerian sporting event and a thriving platform on the continent.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Obiorah Emmanuella, Head of Corporate Communications for New Year Mega Lottery, underscored the company’s fervent passion for football and its humanitarian commitments as the driving forces behind the sponsorship. She expressed enthusiasm for the partnership’s potential to engage a broad audience and foster talent development at the grassroots level across Nigeria.

Emmanuella articulated, “Through this collaboration, we are also excited to connect with the future generation of football athletes at the grassroots level across Nigeria and help them grow. The company’s strong commitment to nurturing and empowering talents, fostering opportunities, and gratifying fans within its market are among the primary motivations for aligning with the NLO.”

Furthermore, the sponsorship is poised to generate employment opportunities for Nigerians, contributing to the country’s socioeconomic development through sports empowerment initiatives.

This landmark sponsorship deal signals a new era of growth and prosperity for Nigerian football, underlining the transformative impact of strategic partnerships in advancing the nation’s sporting landscape.