The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has through its marketing outfit, Pamodzi Sports Marketing Company, warned some firms to desist from ambushing the rights it granted its partners and sponsors or face legal action.
The NFF listed the rights as any promotional, advertising, marketing and other commercial exploitation rights and opportunities in relation to the football federation and the national football teams, including players’ image rights.
Specifically, the NFF named such firms as sports betting company, Bet9ja and Aiteo, an integrated energy company in Nigeria, as among organisations infringing on its products without legal authority.
Pamodzi, yesterday, said the “two companies, especially, and a few others have been trying to reap where they did not sow and have continued to associate their products and services with the Super Eagles, one of the properties of the NFF that its sponsors and partners have been granted exclusive rights to.”
According to Pamodzi Sports Marketing Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mike Itemuagbor: “The Super Eagles’ impressive outing and the inherent potential showed at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire of returning and even surpassing their best ever performance in the immediate future and leading to the 2025 AFCON and the 2026 FIFA World Cup have endeared them to Nigerians and corporate citizens have been identifying with the team.”
Itemuagbor said Bet9ja’s activities around Super Eagles’ participation at the AFCON 2023 aimed at raising their brand awareness without the sponsorship rights are unethical and unlawful.
“What Bet9ja has done is infringing on Premier Lotto’s trademarks and other property rights in relation to the Super Eagles around AFCON 2023.
“This is unlawful and Pamodzi, as the agency responsible for the implementation of the rights between Premier Lotto and the NFF, will not watch the abuse of the rights Premier Lotto has paid for as the official bet sponsor of the National Teams since 2021,” added Itemuagbor.
The Pamodzi Sports Marketing CEO also warned Aiteo against future ambushing of any of NFF’s properties like they did at AFCON 2023 where the company branded the Nigerian Supporters Club attire at the tournament.
“We appreciate Aiteo’s contributions to the success story of the NFF and Nigerian football with its sponsorship activities in the immediate past, but should consider renewing its sponsorship relationship with the NFF to continue to leverage on NFF properties, including the Super Eagles,” he said.
Itemuagbor said the NFF has not closed the door to those wishing to associate their brands with the national teams of Nigeria, adding:
“The Super Eagles have renewed our hopes in them with the way they rose up to the challenge at AFCON 2023 in the true ‘can do’ Nigerian spirit, corporate organisations and individuals, who wish to associate their brands with our national teams are welcome to discus with us and the NFF and their rights will be protected.”
