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By: Johnny Edward.
Partners of the Nigeria Professional Football League, GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited, has announced an upward review of the prize money for the winners of the 2023/2024 season, The PUNCH reports.
The head of media and publicity of GTI/TNFF, Andrew Ekejiuba, disclosed this to journalists in Lagos on Thursday.
He added that the emergence of GTI into the country’s football ecosystem has paved way for elite club football to thrive.
Ekejiuba said the winners of next year’s title will receive N150m and a giant trophy, while second and third place finishers will be handsomely rewarded financially to appreciate their efforts.
“The NPFL is all about the players and GTI felt they should receive a large chunk of the dividends that comes to the league to appreciate their efforts,” Ekejiuba said.
“Therefore, the 2023/24 season will see an upward review of their prize money from N100m to N150m for the winners, while the second and third placed teams will receive financial rewards for their efforts.
“This became necessary in order to add more monetary value to the league and end the mass movement of our best legs to obscure leagues as a result of poor remunerations.”
He stated that the successful hosting of last season’s NPFL play-offs and the just-concluded Naija Super 8 pre-season tourney at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena Onikan, Lagos, has clearly demonstrated that the upcoming NPFL season was going to be keenly contested with massive followership for each of the 20 clubs expected to do battle.
“This is a clarion call GTI is making to individuals, philanthropists and Corporate Nigeria to take advantage of the ongoing revolution that elite club football is witnessing in the country and invest in them.
“There is nowhere in the world that government is saddled with the responsibility of elite club ownership because it is capital intensive and pure business. From the English Premiership, German Bundesliga, South African Premier League and Italian Serie A the story remains the same.”
Ekejiuba added that GTI and major broadcast partner of the league, Propel Sports Africa, has stepped up preparations ahead of the new season as production equipment to be used for the OTT live streaming of matches was expected to arrive in the country soon.
“The equipment is expected in the country few days from now and this has justified the good intention of GTI to ensure that NPFL matches are streamed live this upcoming season via our mobile devices.”
This development will enable NPFL’s global fans to savour Nigeria’s fast-rising league via their mobile devices.
“The equipment expected into the country include AI cameras and sensitive production materials that will guarantee viewers globally an opportunity to watch our elite league seamlessly,” Ekejiuba added.