Less than two per cent. That is how GTI describes what has been put into Nigeria’s top-flight football league so far, set against what the NPFL could earn over the next five years. Andrew Ekejiuba, GTI’s head of media and publicity, gave the figure in remarks delivered in Lagos. It includes a grant announced recently.
Ekejiuba was reacting to a decision by the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation to raise prize money for NPFL winners. GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited, which backs the league, praised it.
His message was that the raise follows years of work rather than starting something new. He credited the NPFL Board and the GTI Group with four years of reforms and investment aimed at repositioning the league: corporate governance, commercial value, and making the league more attractive to investors.
The Commission’s added funding for league operations should speed things up, he argued. Ekejiuba described the prize money as a message to clubs and investors alike, one that would raise the level of rivalry on the pitch.
He was careful not to overstate it. Early celebration would be a mistake, Ekejiuba said, because governance, club licensing, infrastructure, production standards, content and data management, financial accountability and fan engagement all still need work. Cooperation among the sport’s major institutions is “a means to an end,” in his words, not the goal.
GTI wants the NPFL to become accountable and transparent enough to draw more partners, sponsors and investors. Ekejiuba said it would welcome other stakeholders joining.
Sources
- GTI Applauds NSC and NFF as NPFL Prize Money for Winners Increases – zalebs
- GTI lauds NSC, NFF on NPFL prize money increase
