Nigeria’s third-tier football club championship, Nationwide League One (NLO), has sealedN964 million title sponsorship deal with sport betting outfit, New Year Mega Lottery.
The deal makes the firm the official title sponsor of the league for the next four seasons. At the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony held at the Harris Hotel, Wuye, Abuja, yesterday, former Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Silas Agara, who is the NLO chairman, said the Nigerian licensed lottery company would provide a yearly payment of N241 million in cash and a value in kind, totalling N964 million for the four seasons of the sponsorship deal.
He said: “This sponsorship recognises NLO, not just as a football body, but also acknowledges our position as the league with the single-biggest football talent base in Africa.”
He said the collaboration between the Nationwide League One and New Year Mega Lottery is intended to effectively promote and elevate the status of grassroots football in the country, aiming to establish it as a prominent Nigerian spectacle and one of the most flourishing and appealing leagues on the continent.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Head of Corporate Communications, New Year Mega Lottery, Obiorah Emmanuella, said the firm’s passion for football and humanitarian commitments compelled it to sponsor the NLO.
She said: “We are thrilled to enter this sponsorship deal with the Nationwide League One (NLO) and engage a large audience through our brand. It is for the love of soccer and a prioritised social responsibility in line with our humanitarian commitments, that prompted us to sponsor the NLO.
“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.
“I want to use this medium to urge other well-meaning Nigerians to get involved in the development of these laudable sports to enable the country to attain its expected height in world football,” she said.
