By Emma Jemegah
Going by the projection of GTI Group, a top notch investment bank in Nigeria, state governments sponsored clubs will exit the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in the next five years when its intervention starts yielding dividends.
The Executive Director, Funds and Assets Management of GTI and Project Manager of The Nigeria Football Funds, Nelson Ime said in an interactive session with the media in Lagos, yesterday, that by the time its intervention policies at rescuing the Nigeria league start maturing, foreign investors would start dominating the system while local investors would be struggling to catch up.
Contrary to belief in some quarters, Ime said GTI is only a strategic partner of the Interim Management Committee of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) and not sponsor, stressing that the investment bank was only putting up business structure and help proving enabling environment for the league to attract funds and make the NPFL a global brand like its counterparts in the world.
“We’re on a rescue mission for Nigeria football, especially the NPFL, a kind of risk bearer to provide a new corporate governing structure for the league to thrive. The idea was conceived about 13 years ago and it has given birth to The Nigeria Football Fund for the transformation of the NPFL,” he said.
The Project Manager added that GTI has developed a seamless module whereby the NPFL will run transparently with checks and balances put in place for the IMC and the clubs.