With the semifinals of the Federation Cup being played today, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced a partnership agreement for the prestigious competition with Tingo.
Created in 1945 as the Governor’s Cup, the single-elimination is Nigeria’s oldest football championship and has gone through several rebranding and is now known as the Federation Cup.
At a modest but colourful ceremony inside the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, the President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau declared that the first partnership agreement in the life of the new NFF administration had taken some months to seal because his team places more premium on integrity and credibility of partnerships and relationships than the number of such relationships.
He said: “We took our time to conduct due diligence on the company and we found them to be upright and credible. For us, it is about credibility and integrity. A number of corporates have approached us for partnerships but we are taking our time to evaluate things.
“I congratulate Tingo for their steadfastness to ensure the actualisation of this relationship. We believe it is the beginning of great things that will happen between the company and the NFF going forward”.
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi added that the Federation is delighted to secure sponsorship for the oldest and most glamorous football championship in the land, and would go the extra mile to ensure that Tingo derives the appropriate mileage from the title sponsorship.
Chief Operating Officer of Tingo, Mr. Peter Owokolo commended the NFF for the opportunity given to the company to engage Nigeria football at such a high level, and promised to explore areas of further positive contributions to the Nigeria game.
“We are honoured to be here and to be able to take the title sponsorship of such a prestigious competition as the Federation Cup. It is a privilege. We are committed to promoting and positively projecting Nigeria Football in every way we can”, he said.
Also at the event were Tingo’s Project Coordinator, Dr. Segun Sanni; the Chairman/CEO of Skills and Dribbles Marketing Company (facilitators of the agreement), Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq; NFF Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme; Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. E. C. Kadiri; Director of Communications, Mr. Ademola Olajire; Director of Legal, Barrister Okey Obi; Director of Audit, Mr. Yohanna Mathias; Head of Marketing and Sponsorship, Mr. Alizor Chuks; Head of Protocol, Mr. Barnabas Joro; Head of International Competitions, Mr. Enebi Achor and; Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Women Football League, Ms. Modupe Shabi.
From the Governor’s Cup in 1945, the competition has been addressed variously as the Challenge Cup and the Football Association (FA) Cup. It became the Federation Cup in 2008, when the then Nigeria Football Association became NFF following the approval of its Congress in Makurdi, Benue State.
This year’s edition has entered the semifinal stage with matches being played today at Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State; and Lagos. Bendel Insurance (Edo State) clash with the only non-top flight team remaining, Warri Wolves (Delta State) have Lagos as venue; while two teams in the Nigeria Premier Football League – Plateau United (Plateau) and Rangers (Enugu) – engage themselves at Otunba Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode.
