Management, Mr Nelson Ine
GTI Asset Management and Trust Ltd. says it is targeting 20 million dollars in additional partnerships to boost the commercial value of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
Mr Nelson Ine, Executive Director of GTI Asset Management and Trust Ltd., said this at the EuroMatch NPFL 2026/27 news conference organised by the company on Thursday in Lagos.
According to Ine, the target comes after EuroMatch signed a 7.5 million dollar three-year title sponsorship deal with the NPFL.
He described the agreement as a major validation of efforts to reposition the league as a commercially viable sporting asset.
According to him, the 7.5 million dollar deal, valued at 2.5 million dollar yearly, is only a starting point for attracting more private-sector investment into the domestic league.
“We believe before the end of this year, we expect more partners to come onboard.
“Our target is at least to reach about $20 million before the end of next year, and Nigeria has the capacity to do far more than that,” he said.
Ine said GTI, which became the NPFL’s strategic partner in 2022, was neither a sponsor nor merely a financier of the league.
He said the company’s mandate rested on three pillars of corporate governance, advisory and funding, with emphasis on financial accountability and commercial growth.
He said GTI had developed sponsorship opportunities across title, official, associate and regional partnership categories to attract more corporate participation.
Ine said the commercial progress recorded by the league must, however, be matched with reforms in club licensing, infrastructure, broadcast production, financial reporting, data management and communication.
He said stronger compliance and enforcement of club licensing and financial reporting standards were necessary to build investor confidence.
“One thing is to have the money. The other thing is to manage that money effectively and efficiently and deliver value,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presentation showed that the number of privately owned clubs in the NPFL had increased from two in the 2022/23 season to seven in the ongoing 2026/27 season.
GTI’s reform priorities also include infrastructure and matchday upgrades, improved broadcast production, stronger data generation and sustained publicity for the league.
The Group Managing Director of GTI, Mr Abubakar Lawal, said the EuroMatch partnership was a historic development and called on more corporate organisations to invest in Nigerian football.
Lawal said the NPFL had risen to fifth position in Africa and urged stakeholders to support efforts to move the league to the top of the continental ranking.
He said the arrival of a title sponsor demonstrated the commercial potential of Nigerian football.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice Chairman of Mastersports International, Mr Mitchell Obi, said improved packaging and production of the domestic league could unlock greater commercial opportunities.
Obi urged sports journalists and other stakeholders to give more attention to the NPFL and help build a stronger local football culture.
Similarly, the Publisher of Sports Village Square, Mr Kunle Solaja, called for improved documentation, statistics and analysis to increase the league’s appeal.
Solaja also advocated more involvement of NPFL players in the national team, saying it could create additional financial opportunities for local clubs.
Meanwhile, GTI said its long-term vision was to attract N50 billion in funding and grow the NPFL into an asset valued at not less than N200 billion within five years.
It said the investment could support infrastructure development, improved broadcast production and higher player earnings, while strengthening the league’s position in Africa.
The 2026/27 season is being played under the EuroMatch NPFL commercial identity following the 7.5 million dollar title sponsorship agreement. (NAN)
