The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has pledged to collaborate with key stakeholders to rejuvenate and commercialize football in Nigeria.
According to Chief Corporate Communications Officer NNPC Ltd. Abuja Olufemi Soneye, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Ltd., Mele Kyari, expressed the company’s readiness to support initiatives aimed at revitalizing the sport on Thursday at the NNPC Towers in Abuja,
Kyari made this commitment while hosting a delegation led by Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Alhaji Shehu Dikko. The team also included representatives from the International Management Group (IMG) and AfroSport Network.
“NNPC will be a prime partner in the journey to bring value back to our football, reshape it, and bring happiness to our people,” Kyari stated, emphasizing football’s potential to drive economic growth and enhance the company’s corporate social responsibility profile.
Minister Shehu Dikko underscored football’s transformative role in global economies, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has prioritized immediate actions to reform the sport. He highlighted football’s vast economic multiplier effects and its capacity to rejuvenate industries along its value chain.
As part of the revitalization strategy, IMG, a technical partner known for promoting the English Premier League, will leverage its expertise to elevate Nigerian football.
Notably, NNPC Ltd. has historical ties to the sport through its former football club, NNPC FC, Warri, which competed in Nigeria’s Division One league before its disbandment in 1989.
The partnership signals a renewed commitment to leveraging football as a catalyst for national development.
