OLISEH TO RING CLOSING BELL AT NIGERIA STOCK EXCHANGE ON AUGUST 17

All things being equal, Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh will ring the closing bell of the Nigeria Stock Exchange in Lagos on Monday, August 17 during a special visit targetted at taking the Super Eagles brand to corporate organizations, Goal can exclusively  confirm.

As part of plans of the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation, Oliseh would be guest of honour at the NSE in Marina in order to reach out to corporate Nigeria and share the new vision of repositioning the country’s football.

The NSE is a privately held company that made 4billion Naira operating profit in 2014.

A source in the Glass House told Goal that the NFF leadership hopes to place the Super Eagles as a veritable brand which corporate organizations cannot afford to overlook.

“Pinnick’s recent travels have been in order to meet with investors who are keen on partnering the NFF and the Super Eagles,” the NFF official said.

“The first major move to show that the NFF is being accepted into the right circles would be Oliseh ringing the closing bell at the NSE. It has never been done before by a Nigerian sports personality and it would position the NFF as a brand to be taken seriously.”

Goal confirmed from an official at the Stock Market that Oliseh’s visit would help the NFF to explore ways in which to fund many of its programmes.

“There’s money in football,” said the NSE staff, “and the Nigerian capital market is one opportunity for [the NFF] to raise capital when they need money.

“It is the first time we are having a sports person ring the closing bell of the NSE even though the victorious Golden Eaglets of 1985, who won the U16 World Cup in China, visited the stock exchange but they did not ring the bell,” he said.

Pinnick’s recent trip to London, Goal also learned, was to meet an influential businessman who requested to have a personal meeting with the new coach. The businessman was said to have 

been impressed by Oliseh’s presentation and general carriage.

With the NFF needing to pay huge salaries of coaching staff as well as upcoming engagements which include qualification matches for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, 2016 African Nations Championship and the 2018 World Cup all coming up in the next three months, the federation is keen to speak to investors who will help ease its financial burdens.

The senior women national team and the U23 men’s team would also travel to Congo for the All African Games next month, the official indicated that it was the reason for trying to reach out to the corporate world in order to ensure they invest in the country’s football.

According to figures stated by League Management Company boss Shehu Dikko recently, Nigerian brands spend at least 150billion Naira on corporate communications annually.

Hence, there is need for Nigerian national football teams and domestic clubs to position themselves in order to get a share of the big money. 

 Goal