GTI may announce title sponsor, new partners for NPFL this week

.Apart from n150m winners’ prize money, other teams‘ll be rewarded’ only 3SC, Plateau United match to hold on opening day

Strategic partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited, may announce a title sponsor for the league this week, sources close to the financial outfit, have said.

Since Globacom withdrew its sponsorship of the league in the 2016/2017 season, the league has run without a title sponsor. But that is about to change.

A broker, who was in a meeting with GTI last week, told The Guardian that the asset management body is about finalizing details with a firm for the title sponsorship of the league.

“From all indications, GTI will announce the new title sponsor for the league and some new partnerships next week,” the source said, adding that the league has started attracting interest from within and outside Nigeria.

He debunked the report that only the winner of the league would be rewarded at the end of the season, saying that there are graduated prizes for the clubs in the league.

GTI on Friday announced that the winner of the league will earn N150 million, up from the N100m given to Enyimba for winning the 2022/2023 season.

He said: “It is not a winner-takes-all league. Like in every other competition of this magnitude, there are rewards for all the participants.

“There will also be grants for the teams, but I don’t know how much they plan to give the clubs yet.”

GTI/TNFF Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, had in a statement on Friday, reiterated that the winner of the league will get N150 million for their efforts, adding that the firm “will continue to work closely with the newly inaugurated Board of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) led by Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye towards a successful and seamless execution of the upcoming season.”

Meanwhile, the NPFL curtain raiser fixture in Ibadan will be the only game to hold on the opening day of the 2023/24 season.

NPFL Chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, said in a statement yesterday that the decision is consistent with the tradition established last season under the then Interim Management Committee (IMC).

“Remember that last season opening day fixture was the match in Uyo between Akwa United and Bendel Insurance. The other nine fixtures were played the following weekend and it is one of the traditions we are bringing into the new league era,” remarked Elegbeleye, who is now the second vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) by virtue of the football statutes.

Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) will host former champions, Plateau United, at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba, Ibadan on September 9.

The NPFL boss also noted that the decision was also necessitated by the Super Eagles match on September 10 in Uyo.

“Some of our clubs prefer playing their home matches on Sundays to attract a full house of fans and we cannot start from the first day to have scattered fixtures hence all other games apart from the curtain raiser have been moved to the following weekend,” he added.

The match in Ibadan will be the first to be streamed on the new NPFLLive app on mobile phones and other devices.
Authorities of the Lekan Salami Stadium have completed the construction of camera stand with a safe staircase where the AI camera crew and commentators will operate from.