Euromatch, a European sports entertainment brand, has committed 7.5 million dollars to sponsor the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) over the next three years.
The sponsorship deal, which will see the company provide 2.5 million dollars annually, was announced at the unveiling of Euromatch as the title sponsor of the NPFL in Abuja on Wednesday.
Sacli Semih, Group Chairman of Euromatch, said the company’s decision to invest in the league was driven by Nigeria’s economic potential and the abundance of football talent in the country.
Semih said Nigeria remained a key market for the company as Africa continued to emerge as one of the fastest-growing markets for sports entertainment.
“We are a growing sports entertainment brand from Europe, and football is our core product.
“Africa is one of the fastest-growing markets, and Nigeria is the heart of Africa.
“It is the biggest economy, in my view, with enormous potential,” he said.
Semih said Euromatch considered Nigerian footballers among the most underrated talents globally and believed the NPFL had significant commercial potential.
He said the company expected the investment to yield greater returns from the second year of the partnership as the league’s visibility and quality improved.
According to him, the sponsorship is aimed at increasing the NPFL’s international visibility and improving its organisation and presentation to meet higher standards.
“When we transfer the Nigerian league to European standards, under the name Euromatch NPFL, the visibility of the league in Europe alone will increase,” he said.
Semih said the partnership would also provide a platform to showcase Nigerian footballers to a wider global audience.
“There are so many players playing in England and other top leagues, but nobody comes to watch the league here.
“So, we are going to help people see the league. Doing that will also help our brand,” he said.
Gbenga Elegbeleye, Chairman of the NPFL, described the 7.5 million-dollar sponsorship as a major milestone in the efforts to reposition the domestic league.
Elegbeleye said the partnership would help improve the league’s visibility, attract more spectators and create opportunities for Nigerian players.
He said the NPFL had made progress in attracting fans to match venues and would continue to improve its operations and standards.
The NPFL chairman said the league would strengthen its club licensing regulations as part of efforts to ensure improved organisation and quality of the competition.
According to him, Euromatch’s extensive digital reach would provide the NPFL with greater international exposure.
He said the company recorded more than three billion views globally in one season, with about 101 million YouTube views coming from Nigeria.
Elegbeleye said the partnership had the potential to expose Nigerian football and its players to a wider global audience.
“What we are doing is more visibility for the youth, and that is why we are here.
“We want to demonstrate the capacity of what we can do,” he added
