By Daily Sports on December 16, 2016

In the past four seasons, the League Management Company (LMC), which oversees the running of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has brought different innovation and strategy to open the top-flight to the world and make it not only a professional championship in the country but also a hub for business.

From entering partnership with leagues of other nations to help in capacity building to coming up with the idea of night matches in order to drive the presence of football followers back to the stadia among others, the organiser of the NPFL want to see the championship grow from being one previously seen as a mediocre competition to that of a well-structured and ran competition with clubs not left behind in all of the development.

One of the money-making ventures in football across the world is sale of merchandise.

On Wednesday, a new prospect for the clubs to make money from their merchandise was started as OWU Sportswear opened its flagship store in the heart of Lagos.

LMC chairman, Shehu Dikko, alongside the company's CEO, Honourable Nduka Irabor as well as Wikki Tourists chairman, Isa Matori and ABS FC general manager Alloy Chukwuemeka were on hand to witness the opening of the store which is expected to house and sell merchandise of six NPFL clubs.

The six NPFL clubs in partnership with OWU Sportswear are Akwa United, Abia Warriors, Rivers United and Wikki Tourists as well as promoted sides ABS FC and Remo Stars.

Dikko took time to talk about the opening of the store and described it as "a marvellous development" for the league.

"It's a marvelous development to have this in the league. Our clubs need local content and this will help the league. LMC will help six clubs with OWU to sell their replicas. The clubs need to set up shops to sell their replicas. I know that before the end of the coming season more clubs will join the OWU network," Dikko said.

OWU Sportswear CEO, Tunji Brown, then said the flagship store of his firm represents "a big step" and "a desire to produce jerseys for all clubs in the country." (npfl.ng)

•Photo shows Owu Office

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 16, 2016

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