Don't Miss


Home   >   others   >   Sport   >   NFF wants clubs listed on stock exchange

NFF wants clubs listed on stock exchange

By on August 18, 2015

The Nigeria Football Federation has said its dream is to see the country’s football clubs get listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, a move that will help solve the funding challenges that have rocked the country’s football.

The President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick, said this on Monday, when he visited the Nigerian Stock Exchange with Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, and other officials of the federation.

Pinnick explained that as part of plans to ensure that the NFF was transparent under his leadership, it would make its accounts public in a few weeks, having appointed PriceWaterhouse Coopers as its auditors and Financial Derivatives as its financial advisers.

He said, “Our dream is basically to have one of our clubs quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. We know that Rome was not built in a day and we feel that if we come here and do what is symbolic, we will also come here one day and do something very prominent.”

He explained that the goal was to do something “radically different” from the past using the Nigerian corporates as partners in progress and partners in redeveloping and rebuilding football in the country.

Pinnick, who said there were 11 national teams with huge funding requirements in the country, explained that the ultimate plan was to model Nigerian football after British football.

In line with the goal, Pinnick said he will be meeting with the British High Commissioner soon.

“A way of doing that is partnering with the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The Nigerian Stock Exchange is like the mother of Nigerian corporates. We need to get our vision actualised using Nigerian corporates,” he added.

On his part, Oliseh, who agreed that funding was vital to the development of football in the country, explained that Nigeria was starting from the scratch in football, saying the country did not have the quality of players it once had.

He said, “The only way out of the doldrums for our football is to invest in it and where else is the best place when we try to get a new start than to come here (NSE) and say ‘hello’.

“From our side, you can be sure of one thing, we are giving 150 per cent if possible to make you proud of the trust you placed on us.”

 

[Punch]