NFF’s NIKE deal worth $750,000 in first year

The country’s new kit deal with world leading brand, NIKE, is worth $750,000 in the first year, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has revealed.

According to the NFF, the contract signed at The Soho Hotel, Richmond Mews, London, on Thursday also guarantees an increase in the value of the contract in the second year, with the American company committed to supplying kits to the value of $1 million to the Nigerian national teams.

NIKE will also supply kits worth $1million to Nigeria in the year 2017 and 2018.

The three-and-half year contract was signed by NFF President, Amaju Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi, with Tina Salminen, NIKE’s African Football Sports Marketing Director, representing the American company.

According to the NFF, any of the national teams that qualifies for a major international championships will earn other bonuses. Thus, the Super Eagles will earn up to $500,000 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

“We are comfortable with the contract because NIKE came across during the negotiations as being fluid and ready to listen to our demands. That is always the key aspect; you always need a partner with a listening ear.

“Nigeria football is happy to associate with a global leader and I am much convinced this is just the beginning. As we go along, NIKE may also be willing to partner with some of our domestic Clubs and even the League Management Company.”

Meanwhile, the NFF has brought out measures that would ensure Nigeria keeps to the terms of the contract, including a new code of conduct for the Super Eagles’ players and coaches.

According to the federation, the measures were taken to avoid a repeat of the abuses that led to the severance and refusal of its former sponsors, Adidas, to renew the last contract when it expired.

The Guardian recalls that Adidas refused to renew its sponsorship deal with the national teams when it expired last year, alleging Nigerian players and officials failed to keep the terms and conditions of the contract, especially during the last FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

NFF’S Director of Marketing, Idris Adama, said the federation took the decisions based on its experience in the last contract where both players and officials of the team disobeyed the terms by wearing different brands of kits while in camp. That, he said, was against the federation’s agreement with Adidas.

Adama also disclosed that the NFF has resolved to set up a compliance unit at the marketing department, which, he noted, would work with the legal unit to ensure that all the sponsorship contracts were followed judiciously.

“The new leadership of the NFF have demonstrated their commitment towards the development of football in the country through the contract with NIKE. They are also committed to ensuring that all the contracts we go into are fully protected by giving the sponsors the right to activate their brand identity. 

“This is why the federation is coming up with a compliance unit which will soon be established at the marketing department to work with the legal unit to ensure that every contract we sign with sponsors are legally and fully protected within the terms and conditions that were reached upon the signing of such contract.