By By Victor Enyinnaya, Editor-In-Chief on March 29, 2023

Officials of Asset Management & Trust Limited (GTI), and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) managers of Nigeria Premier League (NPL), said that the partnership they entered together are making great impact in the country's professional League pointing out that the long time plan of the partnership is to ensure that Nigeria's league becomes the best in Africa in the nearest possible time.
In an interactive session with Sports Journalists at the corporate headquarters of GTI on Marina, Lagos, Project Director of the company,, Nelson Ine explained that the partnership entered few months ago is already producing positive signs/results insisting  that their major plan is to build  the business element from football that will be beneficial to all as well as serve as a national asset that can have the capacity to  generate revenue as is done in other climes." Our partnership with the IMC is a strategic one borne out of the need to re-position the country's football. We intend to develop the business element of football that can have the capacity to generate revenue and become a national asset that is truly Nigerian and for Nigerians and does not belong to only a few individuals as is done in the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga and French League one.He was particularly happy that since the partnership began, there has been improvement in the running of the League as referees indemnity has been paid on time which has enhanced good officiating, star matches now broadcast on television stations on weekly basis while competitive balance amongst the football club sides have improved even as he stated that his dream is that the league will get adequate publicity and get to a level where matches will be highly unpredictable and confidence restored to attract critical partners for development of the game. Nelson further stated that his future expectation for the next ten years is to see that there is massive increase in the renumeration of players/ officials, infrastructure development, increase in NPFL and club revenues, eradicating hooliganism and insecurity at match venues, reduction in administrative/ management conflict and other vices that affects the development of Nigerian football since according to him no corporate organisation will associate with you where all these vices abound even as he expressed confidence that  with adequate planning, the league can attract foreign investors and also contribute 0.5-1.0 percent revenue to the country's GDP He listed some of his future expectations to include; facilitating an efficient league system to reinforce confidence of investors, facilitate the production of match leads and institute a system for broadcast right to enhance the value of the league significantly and integrate a very reliable and sustainable corporate governance.Other expectations are; to assist the NPFL to generate adequate revenue to cover the cost of running the league as well as supporting club sides, facilitate an effective seamless transition process for the league structure as the need arises, attract investors and sponsors to the league and football clubs, enhance the market value of our local professional football players at the international transfer market , enhance the brand value of the NPFL as well as  enhance the compliance of football clubs with the FIFA clubs regulations as directed by the NFFNelson expressed regrets that Nigeria with a population of about 140 million youths does not manage their youths well which accounted for Nigerians winning more medals for their adopted countries at the last Olympics than Nigerians did for their country, saying; that's high time things are done differently because Nigeria has the talents that can rule the world in sports.Speaking at the event, Chairman of IMC, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye noted that since his committee came on board October last year, referees indemnity has been increased by 50 percent and paid on time too while adequate security has been sustained with regular match fixtures maintained. "When we came on board, we inherited an  unpaid referees arrears of three years but we had an understanding with them to start paying from our own tenure and I can inform you that  all their indemnity has been paid and we also charged them to improve on their performance as we ensure adequate security at match venues." We also charged match commissioners to ensure no game is played without adequate security personnel on ground and this has led to quality games we've witnessed so far The former Director General of the National Sports Commission promised that his committee will continue to monitor every game from their situation room and make efforts to have more league matches on more television platforms just as he announced that winners of this year's League will go home with N100,000,000.In his remarks, Head of Operations of IMC, Prince Davidson Owumi while expressing confidence that the partnership with GTI will usher in a new beginning in Nigerian Football League announced that the management committee have been taking prompt and  decisive actions on any infringement by clubs or their  supporters which has helped in building confidence on the league and also reduced home teams winning at all cost He later read out the summary of teams performance in the first stanza of the 2022/2023 abridged league season.According to the record,  Bendel Insurance is on top of Group A with 24 points having scored 14 goals and conceded  4 while Rivers United leads Group B with 19 points after scoring 14 goals and conceding 9.

Source Daily Sports Nigeria

Posted March 29, 2023

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