NDDC unveils Premium Trust Bank NDSF official sponsor

The Niger Delta Sports Festival organisers have sealed a landmark deal with Premium Trust Bank as the lead corporate sponsor in a move aimed at fostering sports talent development across the oil-rich region.

At a ceremony held at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos, Niger Delta Development Commission chairman, Chinedu Ebie, said that the partnership would bolster the commission’s strategy to utilise sports as a vehicle for human capital development while creating pathways for discovered talents to participate in international competitions.

“We are interested in human capital development, and we recognise that we can use sports to drive it. We want to institutionalise the games for its sustenance, and with the support of Premium Trust Bank, we can support the athletes to attend international meets,” Ebie said.

The Local Organising Committee chairman, Alabo Iyayi, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, noting its potential impact on youth development in the region.

“I’m happy that Premium Trust Bank is partnering with us. We realised there’s a lacuna in our sports and we need to cover the gap to bring our youths to nurture their talents. This is an opportunity to discover and nurture talents from the creeks and the communities and hand over them to the National Sports Commission to groom,” Iyayi stated.

Iyayi further noted that the initiative would help address security challenges in the Niger Delta, suggesting that engaging young people in sports could deter criminal activities.

“The games provide an opportunity to curb criminality in the region because if the athletes are busy they will not have time to engage in criminality,” he said.

Premium Trust Bank’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Emmanuel Emefienim, affirmed the financial institution’s commitment to the cause, expressing solidarity with NDDC’s mission to empower young talents in their respective sporting disciplines.

Bukola Olopade, Director General, National Sports Commission, expressed his delight with the milestone partnership.