Sports betting company, Bet9ja and Aiteo, an integrated energy company in Nigeria, have been warned to stop ambushing the rights granted by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to its sponsors and partners which include any promotional, advertising marketing and other commercial exploitation rights and opportunities in relation to the football federation and the national football teams including the players image rights or face legal action.
This warning was handed down to the company by Pamodzi Sports Marketing Company, the marketing partner of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
In a media statement released on Monday, Pamodzi says the two companies especially and a few others have 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 which its sponsors and partners have been granted exclusive rights to.
“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,” says Mike Itemuagbor, the Chief Executive Officer of Pamodzi Sports Marketing Company.
Itemuagbor says Bet9ja’s activities around the Super Eagles’ participation at the AFCON 2023 aimed at raising their brand awareness without sponsorship rights are unethical and unlawful.
“What Bet9ja has done is infringing 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.
He says the rights granted to Premier Lotto by the NFF are exclusive in that the NFF have not granted and will not grant to any party, similar rights with respect to itself and the national team, in relation to the Company’s products, services or related products and services.
The promotional, advertising, marketing and other commercial exploitation rights and opportunities granted Premier Lotto in relation to the national teams cover such products as Lotto Games, Sports Betting and Virtual Games.
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,’ said Itemuagbor who says the NFF has not closed the door to those wishing to associate their brands with the national teams of Nigeria.
“The Super Eagles have renewed our hopes in them with the way they rose to the challenge at AFCON 2023 in the true ‘can do’ Nigerian spirit, corporate organizations and individuals who wish to associate their brands with our national teams are welcome to discuss with us and the NFF and their rights will be
protected,” Itemuagbor assures.
