Sponsor increase NPL prize money to N150m as NFF name Elegbeleye head of league

Sponsors of the Nigeria Premier League, GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited, has announced an upward review of the prize money for the winners of the 2023/2024 season.

The head of media and publicity of GTI/TNFF, Andrew Ekejiuba, disclosed this to journalists in Lagos on Thursday.

He added that the emergence of GTI into the country’s football ecosystem has paved the way for elite club football to thrive.

Ekejiuba said the winners of next year’s title will receive N150m and a giant trophy, while second and third-place finishers will be handsomely rewarded financially to appreciate their efforts.

“The NPFL is all about the players and GTI felt they should receive a large chunk of the dividends that come to the league to appreciate their efforts,” Ekejiuba said.

 “Therefore, the 2023/24 season will see an upward review of their prize money from N100m to N150m for the winners, while the second and third-placed teams will receive financial rewards for their efforts.

“This became necessary in order to add more monetary value to the league and end the mass movement of our best legs to obscure leagues as a result of poor remunerations.”

He stated that the successful hosting of last season’s NPFL play-offs and the just-concluded Naija Super 8 pre-season tourney at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena Onikan, Lagos, has clearly demonstrated that the upcoming NPFL season was going to be keenly contested with massive followership for each of the 20 clubs expected to do battle.

“This is a clarion call GTI is making to individuals, philanthropists, and Corporate Nigeria to take advantage of the ongoing revolution that elite club football is witnessing in the country and invest in them.”

Meanwhile, Gbenga Elegbeleye has been appointed as the chairman of the Nigeria Premier League.

The appointment was announced by the Nigeria Football Federation in Abuja.

Elegbeleye, a former Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth and Sports, headed the Interim Management Committee that executed the last NPL season and the Super 6, drawing high praise from the NFF and stakeholders in general.

The new NPL board are Mohammed Nasiru Sa’idu (Member); Poubeni Ogun (Member); Daniel Amokachi (Member); Okey Kpalukwu (Member); Mallam Suleiman Umar (Member) and Dominic Iorfa (Member).

The Secretary/Legal Adviser is Danlami Ibrahim while the Chief Operating Officer is Davidson Owumi.

The new NPL board has a two-year tenure, the same as the boards of the Nigeria National League, the Nigeria Women Football League and the Nigeria Nation-Wide League that was inaugurated on Monday.