The Nigeria Premier League has turned down a title sponsorship proposal from Chinese company Startimes as it announced that the 2023/24 season of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) will kick off on September 30, 2023.
The league has suffered three postponements following a controversy around sponsorship and in addressing the concerns, the NPL in a letter dated Monday, September 25, signed by Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer to the club owners confirmed that it rejected 10-year contract from Startimes.
“Starting with our marketing activities, it has to be noted that the offer from Startimes has been adequately attended to and exhausted,” the letter read. “Noteworthy is their proposal for a 10-year partnership, which is not obtainable in sports marketing anywhere in the world. Although we have also made a counteroffer for 5 years, 10 years will mean we are locking up our asset for that duration of time, we are still hopeful, they, or other prospective partners will still show up since talks are ongoing, any success achieved will enlarge the economic frontiers of our league and by extension the clubs, as we progress.”
Another highlight of the letter to the clubs is the payment of start-off grants of a total of ₦200m to the 20 clubs.
“The 20 clubs will, as was done last season receive a take-off grant of Ten Million Naira (₦10,000,000) each to smoothen your operations as the season starts.
“We are therefore expecting the Clubs to as a matter of urgency forward their respective account details to the NPFL Secretariat for the transfer of the said amount as the season is set to commence on Saturday, September 30, 2023”, Owumi stated in the letter addressed to all Club Chairmen and General Managers.
On the prize money, the letter read; “after due deliberations by the Chairman and our Strategic Partners, it was agreed that the Prize money, since that is what connotes the true value of the league, be reviewed upwards to ₦150million”.
The letter also addressed some of the Marketing concerns and assured the clubs that the NPFL Board would at all times take decisions and enter into contracts that serves the best interest of the league and the clubs.
“Be rest assured that we will at all times be guided by the very best interest of our league and by implication, the participating Clubs”, the COO explained while adding that discussions are still ongoing with a company that proposed a ten-year partnership for broadcast rights.
“We remain very hopeful that they or other prospective partners will show up since talks are still ongoing. Any success achieved, will enlarge the economic frontiers of the league and by extension the clubs as we progress”, he concluded.