By Victor Enyinnaya, Managing Editor on February 17, 2023

It was solemn, frank, utmost atmosphere, straight and sundry when one of the foremost in that critical sector, GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited held joint media parley with Editors from the Sporting Press and their opposite numbers in Business journalism at their corporate headquarters in Lagos during the week.

It would be recalled that the event got full attendance from both sides and the thrust of the occasion was thoroughly discussed by very suave Executive Director, Funds and Assets Management of GTI and Project Manager of The Nigeria Football Funds, Nelson Ine in an interactive session was optimistic that when rescue mission by GTI policies on the intervention to give Nigerian League the maturity he envisaged that even foreign investors would be falling over themselves in spirited efforts to grab space in highly anticipated lucrative Nigerian League.

Ine also posited that everything legally possible to dominate the space or system will be put in  place stressing that their local investors counterparts would be struggling to take hold of the interesting situation.     

 A recap, The Nigeria Football Fund (TNFF) is an open-ended Securities and Exchange Commission SEC-Registered Unit Trust/Mutual Fund with an initial public offering to raise N5, 000,000,000, through the issuance of 5,000,000,000 units of shares at N1.00 per Unit. It is also instructive to note here that it is a Fund launched by GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited to provide sustainable solutions to the challenges hindering the growth and advancement of football in Nigeria by focusing on the development of the Nigeria Professional Football League Clubs. The Fund seeks to build a strong economy on the wings of football.

During the recently Media session, Ine further enlightened/informed vocal but teeming, deep loving football fans that TNFF is exclusively positioned to invest in high-quality investment-grade instruments involving equities of quoted companies, money market or fixed income instruments, and strategic investment in football/sports sector via securitized lending investments in identified short to medium term “football projects.”

Ine pointedly added that GTI Group, a frontline investment Bank in the country is strictly a strategic partner of the Interim Management Committee of the Nigeria Premier League and not sponsor as being held in some quarters. He insisted that GTI was putting up business structure or aspect that would facilitate confidence and provide enablement for the League to stand firmly and then earn or attract investors’ funds all in the bid to grow NPFL to a world class brand like other big Leagues around the globe.

According to him, “honestly, we are in a mission to recover our League and by extension, the Nigeria’s Football. If you like call us risk bearers and you may not be too far from the truth of the matter all geared towards the provision of entirely and holistic corporate governance/visible structure so that our League may excel.

Ine emphatically recalled that this viable initiative has been on for whole 13 years ago which has finally given birth to The Nigeria Football Fund for total revolutionized NPFL.

This reporter gathered that one of the major objectives of The Nigeria Football Fund seeks to build a “Football Economy” within the Nigeria sports ecosystem. The fund is packaged to provide sustainable solutions bedeviling the development of Nigeria football with focus on the Nigeria Professional Football League Clubs. The fund it was further learnt aims to transform football clubs from socio-political tools to profitable business enterprises and by extension, a national asset; contributing a significant percentage of the Nigeria Gross Domestic Products.

Daily Sports was confided also that The fund will promote investment culture among participants in the industry with an opportunity to earn returns from investing in investment-grade instruments involving equities of quoted companies, sovereign and corporate short/long term debt obligations and securitized lending investments in identified short to medium term “football projects.”

The GTI Group Managing Director, very amiable Abubakar Lawal in his closing remarks told his audience that his Group in her characteristic of traditional resilient work ethics never relented, despite this idea being thrown out by three Directors- General of SEC and enthusiastically said “we bake the cake together and it’s about the future, definitely not about GTI. On lighter note he disclosed that once FIFA endorses this idea it becomes a product, he emphasised.

The Group Managing Director stressed “I don’t say, don’t tell the story. Future of Nigeria Football is on our hands, once we realise that sports is no longer recreation but real serious money spinning business through hard work and transparency and so only us can make it take its strong hold and pride of place in our country with large population of  over 140 youths potentially talented. He further appealed that the narrative must change thenceforth.

 The multiplier effects of building a “football economy” is extremely huge, as an improved football sector will drive a cycle of growth (value-chain effects) across several other sectors like Tourism, Broadcasting, Technology, Gaming,  Media, Hospitality, Transportation, Merchandising etc.  The end result of these will lead to increased economic activities, increase in employment opportunities, rise in disposable income, significant contribution to GDP and a general increase in demand for the products, goods and services produced by Nigerian corporate/manufacturing companies, regardless of your income, you can achieve your financial dreams with TNF-Fund. It is hassles-free with easy entry and exit.

The Projects Manager lured investors to know that The TNFF is unique from other existing Funds in the market because of the following features which he describes as “Blue Ocean” vehemently believing that TNFF is a new and unique concept. Most of the existing Funds are either Equity or Money Market or Bond or Real Estate Funds. Football Fund does not exist anywhere in Africa, TNFF is a developmental Fund and a national project that is distinct and novel. The Fund is completely a blue ocean strategy.

GTI restated its commitment to solving a major national challenge and guarantees financial reward for passion. The TNFF is unique from other existing Funds in the market because the primary objective of TNFF is to build a “football economy” and facilitate the development of football, especially at the Nigeria Professional League. The Fund will be managed to deliver the following under-listed objectives to the various stakeholders:

• Government
• NFF
• Football Clubs
• Football Players
• Football Fans
• Unit Holders

• The fund will help the government to use football to manage social vices.
• Improved football economy will enhance national planning.
• Football becomes a veritable source of revenue for government finances.
• The fund will help to enhance national saving culture.
• Stimulates the financial inclusion agenda of the government.
• Deepens the creative economy of Nigeria, produces and distributes cultural goods with positive economic impact.
• Positive spill-over effect on the tourism sector development e.g. positive impact on hotel occupancy rates.
• FDI attraction and enhanced foreign exchange earnings through foreign television broadcasting rights.
• Infrastructure improvement.
• Converts the interests of mammoth Nigerian fans into commercial success and sustainable growth

However, after the interactive meeting, one came out better armed with the workings of the new arrangement that will no doubt flag off profitably our supposedly multi billion Dollars yielding football that has been sadly on the wrong hands whose aim since creation or migration to professional grade were never met.

The story of NPFL and other supervisory agencies have been that of paradise disfigured. This notion of betrayal by the officials left the NPFL riddled with clear and proven cases of corruption from top to bottom.

GTI being well reputable investment banking with many years of operation rich profile, and portfolio one is never left in any doubt of its ability to deliver successfully.

As clock ticks and we keep our eyes keenly on the ball, continue shooting hard till next stop. Meanwhile we wait!

Source Daily Sports Nigeria

Posted February 17, 2023

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