THE Nigeria Football Association (NFA) on Monday in Abuja said it would establish a Compliance Unit in its Marketing Department to ensure the rights of its sponsors were protected.
Idris Adama, NFA’s Director of Marketing, told newsmen that the unit when established would ensure that national team players, coaches and NFA staff complied with terms and conditions of every contract.
Adama said violators would be punished to serve as a deterrent to those who might want to contravene the terms and conditions of the contracts.
“The new NFA leadership has demonstrated its commitment to ensure that the rights of partners are fully protected in all the contracts we go into.
“That is why the FA is coming up with a Compliance Unit to be established in the Marketing Department to work together with the Legal Unit.
“This is to ensure that everything we do is in compliance with every contract we sign with sponsors and within the terms and conditions of the contracts.
“There are penalties for violations, whether by players, coaches or staff of the NFA,’’ Adama said.
He said Super Eagles Head Coach Stephen Keshi was fully aware of the development, going by the details of his negotiations with the NFA.
The NFA marketing director said complying with national team’s code of ethics would be a prerequisite for playing for Nigeria.
He added that it would be part of the measures to checkmate the violations from players’ angle.
Adama also said the measures put in place were as a result of NFA’s past experience “where the rights of former sponsors Adidas were violated by some national team players and coaches’’.
“This is to ensure that players who are coming to the national teams comply with those terms and conditions which we have entered into with our partners.
“It will come in form of a code and conduct. The experience of the past was not in the interest of Adidas and the NFA, and that is the reason for this change in tactics.
“To enable us checkmate those things that will militate against the interest of our football and new sponsors.
“NIKE is great and Nigerian football is great. So, these are great partners,’’ he added.
NAN reports that NIKE is to supply kits to the value of 750,000 dollars to the various Nigerian national teams in the first year of the contract.
It was signed on April 23 in London.
The value will increase in the second year to one million dollars.
It will also remain at one million dollars in the year 2017 and 2018 when the deal is expected to be renewed, if need be.
The sponsorship will see the Super Eagles earn up to 500,000 dollars from NIKE at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.
There are also various bonuses specified for the other national teams which qualify for major international championships.