Africaโs leading gaming and entertainment company, betPawa, has appointed Afro-pop star Tekno as its brand ambassador, following a commitment of N494 million to sponsor the Nigeria National League (NNL).
The announcement was made at a Lagos event on Tuesday and marks one of the largest corporate investments in Nigerian grassroots football this year.
The sponsorship, branded the Locker Room Bonus, will see 20 players and three technical staff from every winning NNL team receive N56,000 each immediately after matches. Each victory will generate N1,288,000 per club. With 292 games scheduled this season, over N369 million will go directly to players and staff. An additional N100 million will support league operations, while N8.1 million is reserved for end-of-season awards.
Borah Ndanyungu, betPawaโs Head of Local Marketing and CSR, said the partnership with Tekno aligns with the companyโs goal of connecting sports and entertainment. โHis music inspires millions, just as football inspires millions. This announcement comes as we invest heavily in Nigerian football through the Locker Room Bonus,โ he said.
Tekno, known for hits such as Pana and Skeletun, expressed enthusiasm about the initiativeโs impact on players. โFootball and music unite us. Iโm proud to work with a brand that not only entertains but also gives back, rewarding players and energising fans,โ he said.
Club officials have been trained on the Locker Room Bonus platform, which digitises line-up verification and automates payments, ensuring instant rewards for players.
At the Abuja launch of the NNL sponsorship last week, stakeholders urged betPawa to extend similar support to Nigeriaโs womenโs football league and basketball. The company already implements comparable programmes in Ghana and Uganda, where both menโs and womenโs leagues receive equal backing.
The NNL season is scheduled to kick off in November. Industry observers note that this dual investment in sports development and entertainment reflects a broader shift in how gaming companies are positioning themselves in Nigeriaโs competitive market.
