Nigeria’s football was emblazoned in all-yellow on Thursday as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and MTN Communications signed a partnership agreement that made the telecommunications company the Official Communications Partner of the Super Eagles and other National Teams.
The agreement is worth N500 million a year with several other opportunities and possibilities in the mix as the contract runs.
The deal was announced at a formal signing ceremony held at Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, and attended by board members of MTN Nigeria led by the Chairman, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe (OFR) and NFF officials, led by the President, Amaju Pinnick. Also in attendance were the Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports, Sen. Obinna Ogba and the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare.
This is the latest investment from MTN in a growing relationship with Nigeria’s dynamic football ecosystem.
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Commenting on the deal, Karl Toriola, MTN CEO, said: “Football is a unifying national obsession. It brings people together, breaks down boundaries, creates conversations and inspires. We are privileged to have this opportunity to partner with the NFF and to be able to support all Nigeria’s National Football teams over the next three years. This is the start of what we hope will be an inspiring, productive and value-adding partnership that can combine the role that technology plays, with the incredible experiences that football provides for the millions of Nigerians who follow the national teams.”
NFF President and FIFA Council Member, Amaju Melvin Pinnick lauded MTN for its patience, doggedness and forthrightness along the line while the partnership was being processed, and said he was overwhelmed with joy that the day has finally come to consummate a relationship that he had dreamt so much about over the years.
“I am delighted to welcome Nigeria’s largest mobile operator as a partner to the NFF and the Nigerian National Football teams and grateful for their long-term commitment to working with us to support the ecosystem. Today is just the start of a new journey for Nigerian football, and we’re so excited to be on it. Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be revealing more about our plans and how you can engage.”
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On his part, the minister of sports praised MTN for supporting the development of Nigerian football, while also calling on other corporate organisations not only to emulate the ICT giant but also explore the possibility of supporting the development of other sports in the country:
“All hands must be on deck to strengthen our competitive position not only in football, but in other sports. Through this partnership, MTN is building a sustainable legacy of support, partnership and exciting soccer experience for Nigerians, and I seize this opportunity to call on other well-meaning Nigerian businesses to join us in achieving a paradigm shift in the development of all our sporting federations.”
Recently, MTN announced a series of activities as part of its milestone anniversary celebration including, participating in the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Programme (RITC) for an opportunity to reconstruct some road networks in South-Eastern Nigeria, incorporating some of the latest technology, build a world-class campus in Nigeria and sell down, up to 14% of it’s equity to Nigerians.
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