The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday, signed a four-year sponsorship contract worth N300 million with Premium Bank to develop grass roots football across the country.
This was as the bank became the official financial institution of the NFF and the national teams.
President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, revealed that the agreement would be for four years during which the financial institution would pay the football-ruling body the sum of N300 million annually (with a built-in clause for 10% increase every year). He thanked the organisation for its support and encouragement of Nigeria sports in less than three years of its existence.
Gusau, in his address at the event held in Abuja, noted that the NFF was excited to be associated with Premium Trust Bank because of its credible, close relationship with sports over its less-than-three-years life in the financial sector.
He added: “During our interactions leading to the signing of this agreement, I was moved by the palpable enthusiasm and commitment of the organisation to supporting and encouraging Nigerian youth all the way from the grassroots to stardom.
“While celebrating the coming of Premium Trust Bank which is the first huge partnership that we are signing, we call on credible corporate entities like the bank to come forward and support the Nigeria game.”
Gusau, however, used the opportunity to assure Nigerians that his administration was committed to improving Nigeria Football in all facets.
On his part, the Managing Director/CEO of Premium Trust Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Emefienim, highlighted the bank’s support for sports since its birth to include its partnership with the Athletic Federation of Nigeria; support for Nigeria’s world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles Tobi Amusan; sponsorship of the 2022 National Sports Festival in Delta State; support for Bayelsa Queens in its CAF Women Champions League campaign in Morocco and; sponsorship of the 2024 Abuja Half Marathon, among others.
He said that the bank, which prides itself as a leading 21st-century financial institution, provides innovative solutions that impacts its customers and communities to make a positive difference in their world.
Emefienim added: “We have been very deliberate in our support for sports, because we are deliberate when it comes to impacting lives.
“We believe that the private sector has a role to play in providing the platform for the youth to showcase their positive talents and be useful to themselves and the nation, thereby supporting the efforts of the government.
“We recognise football as a strong unifying factor in a highly diversified nation like ours. Supporting the NFF and football to identify talents from the grassroots and nurturing them to stardom, and thus contributing to national development, is a clarion call that we have heeded and are stoutly committed to.
“I believe our coming into this space will definitely take Nigeria Football to new heights of excellence,” he concluded.
Kasim Sumaina
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