Sports
Niger Delta Sports Festival receives historic Sponsorship boost from PremiumTrust Bank
Joel Ajayi
In what will go down as an historic milestone, the Maiden edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival, NDSF, has been boosted with the announcement of PremiumTrust Bank as the lead sponsors of the games which will hold from April 1 to 8 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
At the unveiling ceremony held at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos, the Executive Director Finance and Accounting, NDDC and Chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the Games, Hon. Boma Iyaye, stated that the choice of PremiumTrust Bank as the official banker of the festival was as a result of its past records as one of the biggest supporters of Sports in the country.
“NDDC is an intervention agency and people know us for construction of roads and projects. We decided to go into sports to provide a platform for youths in the Niger Delta to showcase their talents.
Through this festival, we will be able to discover a lot of talents and hand them over to the National Sports Commission (NSC). It is not that the NDDC cannot fund the Games alone, but we the corporate organisations like PremiumTrust Bank to play a role because sports help in curbing criminality in our society,” he said.
Iyaye thanked Nilayo Sports Management for bringing PremiumTrust Bank into the Games saying: “We are very happy to have Nilayo Sports as one of our partners.”
The Managing Director of Dunamis Icon Limited, who is also the Co-chairman of the MOC for the Games, Itiako Ikokpo was also full of praises for both Nilayo Sports and PremiumTrust Bank, saying that the NDDC Sports festival has already achieved its success even before it begins.
The Managing Director/CEO of PremiumTrust Bank, Mr. Emmanuel Efe Emefienim, stated that his organisation does not joke with anything that would enhance the development of sports in the country.
“Apart from being the official banker of the NDDC Games, we are the lead sponsors of the Gateway Games holding in Abeokuta. And before now, we sponsored the National Sports Festival in 2022 in Asaba, and we also sponsored two Nigerian top athletes, Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume, for three years”.
” We also kitted Bayelsa Queens in their CAF Champions League and we also sponsored the Abuja marathon. We do all that because it is our hope that if we provide the platform for the youths to thrive, it will rob off on the entire nation,” Emefienim stated.
The Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Mrs. Yetunde Olopade, expressed her appreciation to PremiumTrust Bank as well as organisers of the NDDC Sports Festival for believing in the company.
She also appreciates Dunamis Icon limited who are the official consultant for the Games especially for partnering with Nilayo Sports Management Company who are the official marketing company for the NDSF.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade has revealed that the Chairman of the Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, will be in Uyo on April 1 to declare the NDDC Sports Festival open, just as he commended the organisers for the great initiative.
The DG emphasised that the NDSF aligns perfectly with the new vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, to build a sustainable Sports Economy.
Sports
FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification
Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums
Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.
Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.
In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”
He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.
“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”
Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT
Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.
“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.
Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.
“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”
The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.
He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development
As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.
“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”
Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.
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