Board members allegedly vow to clash with President Tonobok Okowa over sponsorship cash
By Ed Emeanua
President Tonobok Okowa of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is at the center of a wild allegation of the scramble for sponsorship money by members of the Athletics body.
The Federation has said it signed a sponsorship deal with Premium Trust Bank as it gets ready for this year’s World Championships in Budapest.
The Federation added that Nilayo Sports Management officialized the three-year deal on its behest, with the highly anticipated competition scheduled for August 19 through 27 in the Hungarian capital.
“Premium Trust Bank has demonstrated dedication to the growth and development of athletics in the country,” AFN said in its statement.
“As a forward thinking and fast growing brand, we are very confident that this is a collaboration that will transform athletics in Nigeria.”
Premium Trust Bank was just commissioned last year with its headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.
According to a section of the Nigerian media, the deal has ignited conflict within AFN rank and file, with the rumor mill rife with alleged jostling for the sponsorship money among the Federation’s supposedly Stalwarts.
Bukola Olopade, Nilayo Sports Management chief executive, also doubles as the chief marketing consultant for the nation’s Athletics Federation.
The Guardian Newspaper reported that the Federation’s Board members are empowered to summon the assembly and there are some secret motions to go against President Okowa over sponsorship cash.
“It is unfortunate that some of the Board members are accusing Okowa wrongly over issues he knows nothing about,” Olopade told the The Guardian.
“I heard this rumour of some of the members scrambling for sponsorship money before I traveled out of Nigeria, and I have expressed my disappointment with some of them.
“In the first place, AFN does not have a contract with Premium Trust Bank, rather, it was my company, Nilayo Sports, that signed a sponsorship deal with Premium Trust Bank.
“As the chief marketing consultant to AFN, we signed a three-year-sponsorship pact on behalf of Premium Trust Bank with the AFN.
“Money that comes from the sponsorship deal is not given to any individual, it is tied to competitions.
“In other words, the AFN will have to write to Premium Trust Bank, through Nilayo Sports, for money to be released for major competitions, including the World Athletics Championships.”
Nigerian athletes have remarkably shone for their country where all else failed and landed a gold and a silver medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon against all odds, with women’s 100 meters hurdler Tobi Amusan headlining the laurel stand.
She emblazoned a world record time of 12.12sec in the semi-finals enroute to her accomplishment.
