Strategic partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited has commended the management of Rangers International FC of Enugu for the commercialization initiative they embarked on prior to the commencement of the 2023/2024 NPFL season.
GTI/TNFF Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, told sports journalists in Lagos that the move is in line with GTI’s intention of seeing to the total privatization of all Nigerian elite clubs and the development of the beautiful game in the country.
“GTI was reliably informed that one of Nigeria’s foremost elite clubs, Rangers International of Enugu recently embarked on the process of commercialization of its activities in a bold bid to remain financially solvent and less dependent on the government for funds.
“The Coal City Flying Antelopes unveiled a massive fund-drive project tagged ‘One Million Ambassadors’ in which members are expected to pay an undisclosed token as a membership fee to be enrolled into the exalted ‘One Million Ambassadors Club’. This we gathered was aimed at raising funds for the team and pulling together a massive fanbase.
“This development is heart-warming and a commendable initiative which every club featuring in the current season should emulate,” Ekejiuba began.
“The initiative is also in adherent to the clarion call GTI made recently to individuals, philanthropists and Corporate Nigeria to take advantage of the ongoing revolution that club football is witnessing in the country and invest in these clubs.
“The coming of GTI into the country’s football ecosystem has woken the sleeping giants in these clubs and it is expected that all stakeholders of Nigerian football should embrace this new green oil that has the capacity to turn around the country’s GDP going forward.
“The investment window is wide open for individuals, philanthropists and Corporate Nigeria to key into until the last club is taken away from government because the management of elite football is purely a business venture.”
It could be recalled that the Administrative Secretary of Rangers, Barrister Ferdinand Ugwuarua, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at a crowded press conference held at the club’s corporate office located at 23 Lugard Avenue, Abakaliki Road, Enugu gave an elaborate explanation of the club’s commercialization project that will be ‘media driven’ and tailored towards the new government of Enugu State’s mantra in managing government business.
With this development, GTI is of the opinion that Rangers has set the pace and machinery in motion to drive for a million registered members of the club whose tokens will go a long way in ensuring the attainment of a strong financial structure for the club. Ekejiuba hinted that GTI is optimistic that gradually the Nigerian elite league will get back to the era of Abiola Babes, Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Stationary Stores, Asabatex and Flash Flamingoes when they held sway and affirmed that the qualification of Sporting Lagos for the upcoming season is a sign of greater things in the offing.
Ekejiuba added that the August 26 kickoff date as revealed by NPL boss, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye for the new season is tenable and expressed delight that the 2023/2024 NPFL will be a glorious season to remember by stakeholders of Nigeria football following the massive preparations going on quietly at the background by GTI.
