The Executive Director of GTI Asset Management and Trust Ltd, Mr. Nelson Ine, has projected that Nigeria’s topflight football competition, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), could attract more than N200 billion in investments within the next five years if ongoing reforms and structured funding are sustained.
Ine made the projection during a webinar convened at the company’s headquarters in Lagos, where stakeholders discussed investment opportunities within Nigeria’s football ecosystem.
The event, themed “Grassroots Football Investment and Its Impact on Youths,” brought together industry experts and investors to explore ways of strengthening the financial structure of football in the country.
According to Ine, the ongoing transformation of the NPFL has the potential to significantly boost the league’s commercial value and attract both domestic and international investors.
“We are confident that in another five years the NPFL will be worth well over N200 billion. The potential is enormous and the opportunity is clear,” he said.
He explained that the initiative is being driven through the Nigerian Football Fund, a specialised investment vehicle designed to channel private capital into football-related assets.
Ine noted that the fund provides Nigerians and other investors with an opportunity to participate in the long-term commercial growth of the country’s football industry.
“The objective is to invest in sports assets that are economically viable and capable of transforming football into a profitable sector,” he added.
The GTI executive stressed that Nigeria possesses the population size, football talent and passion needed to build a thriving football economy, but emphasised that the sector must transition from a largely social structure to a business-driven model.
“If you do not invest, do not expect. Nigeria has not invested enough in football, yet expectations from the sector remain very high,” he said.
Ine also highlighted the need for supportive government policies to attract investors into the sports sector.
According to him, tax incentives, sound regulation and strong corporate governance will be crucial in protecting investments and boosting investor confidence.
He further explained that football investment extends beyond matchday activities, noting that well-structured clubs can create employment opportunities for players, coaches, medical teams, administrators and other support personnel.
In addition, he identified merchandising, ticket sales, sponsorship deals and broadcasting rights as key revenue streams capable of strengthening club finances.
Ine noted that the fund operates within Nigeria’s capital market regulatory framework to ensure investor protection, while also allowing partial diversification into money market instruments and equities to enhance financial stability.
He said the initiative would also support grassroots football development and could eventually expand to women’s football and other sports sectors.
The GTI boss encouraged Nigerians to take advantage of the investment opportunity through the company’s investment app while emphasising the importance of stronger governance and structured funding in grassroots football.
“A structured transition programme is needed to harness young talents and build a sustainable pool of professional players for clubs across the country,” he said.
“There is also the need for consistent capacity building and the adoption of modern technology to transform the sector.”
The webinar also featured presentations by Abiodun Ogunniyi, Head of Research at GTI, while Tewogbade Abegunde, Coordinator of GTI Finance Academy, moderated the session.
