The Nigeria National League,NNL has landed a significant sponsorship deal of almost N500m that will transform the second-tier league and make it the beautiful bride of the nation’s leagues.
The deal with one of Africa’s leading sports betting and gaming brands, betPawa, was consumated on Wednesday in Abuja and would be for an initial one year with the league guaranteed over N100m from the total package .
The sponsorship comes with a special player-centered innovative incentive called the Locker Room Bonus — a first-of-its-kind system that rewards 20 players and 3 officials directly for every victory on any match day..
Unlike other sponsorships that are not players-friendly and focused, this initiative is a win-win for the players with potentials to make the NNL the league of choice going forward.
With an automated digital platform that tracks and verifies every player on the winning side, will see every winning player in the NNL receiving ₦56,000 weekly directly into their mobile money wallets within minutes of the final whistle.
Beyond the players who are the main beneficiaries of the sponsorship, the most important league, the NNL will earn ₦400,000 for every match played each weekend.
Speaking on the sponsorship,Head of Local Marketing & CSR at BetPawa, Borah Ndanyungu said: “We’re not just handing out cash, we’re building a system that lifts Nigerian football to the next level. This platform gives players the respect they deserve for every hard-fought victory — no delays, no drama.”
Earlier, the Regional Manager, New Markets and Campaigns, West and Central Africa, Nii-Armah Ashong Katai said they started the Locker Room Bonus in 2021-2022 season with focus on the players in the seven countries of operation before Nigeria was on boarded.
He revealed that Betpawa had paid over one million dollars as Locker Room Bonus with 20 players and three officials of the winning team receiving the instant bonus every weekend.
Katai disclosed that the Locker Room will elicit competitiveness among players within clubs and among clubs and overall, raise the value of the second-tier league.
NFF
In the meantime, the Nigeria Football Federation President, Ibrahim Gusau, has welcomed Betpawa sponsorship of the NNL saying it will raise the profile of the league and regulate the living standard of the players.
Gusau noted that beyond the players the new sponsorship with its special package for players will regulate the Nigerian economy across the country
He also argued that Locker Room initiative has the potential to retain Nigerian talents in the domestic league for some time rather than rushing out to lesser leagues in Africa.
The NFF President revealed “One of my major concerns has been how to keep our best players in the league. This is the way forward, and it will reflect positively on the growth of the game in Nigeria. ”
Earlier, NNL Chairman, George Aluo, has lauded the NFF Leadership led by Ibrahim Gusau for brokering the deal through his support and free hand for the leagues to operate.
He noted that the betpawa sponsorship aligns with the NFF leadership’s desire to prioritize grassroots football, which the NNL represents.
Aluo, while commending the sponsors argued that the latest development will boost the performance of the NNL clubs, who have show impressive performance in recent times with Elkanemi winning the FA Cup last year and Abakiliki United reaching the final this year and losing narrowly.
On his part, the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Philip Shaibu, described the deal as what football needs and a morale booster for players and clubs.
Shuaibu said “This partnership will ginger the players to give their best and have a ricocheting effect on the league and the overall development of the game”.
Betpawa concluding by saying they are happy doing what they are doing, because they find joy investing in African sport and youth, stressing the company’s commitment to driving positive change in African sports through innovative sponsorship models and CSR projects.
The company says its long-term vision is to help professionalize sports across the continent.