Sports Marketing Nigeria Limited: Betaja, Aiteo, Others Warned To Stop Ambushing Super Eagles, Other National Teams

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has warned sports betting company Betaja and integrated energy company Aiteo to stop ambushing the rights granted to their sponsors and partners. These rights include any promotional, advertising, and marketing rights as well as other commercial exploitation opportunities in relation to the football federation and the national football teams, including the players' image rights. Failure to comply could result in legal action.

The Nigeria Football Federation's (NFF) marketing partner, Pamodzi Sports Marketing, issued this warning to the corporation.

“What Bet ja has done is infringing Premier Lotto's trademarks and other property rights in relation to the Super Eagles around AFCON 2023.

“This is unlawful and Pamodzi, as the agency responsible for the implementation of the rights between Premier Lotto and the NFF, will not watch the abuse of the rights Premier Lotto has paid for as the official bet sponsor of the National Teams since 2021, added Itemuagbor.”

The Super Eagles are one of the NFF's properties that its sponsors and partners have exclusive rights to, and Pamodzi claims that these two companies in particular—as well as a few others—are attempting to reap what they did not sow by continuing to associate their goods and services with the team.

“The Super Eagles' impressive outing and the inherent potentials showed at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire of returning and even surpassing their best ever performance in the immediate future and leading to the 2025 AFCON and the 2026 FIFA World Cup have endeared them to Nigerians and corporate citizens have been identifying with the team,” says Mike Itemuagbor, the Chief Executive Officer of Pamodzi Sports Marketing.

Itemuagbor says that Bet9ja's efforts to promote their brand in connection with the Super Eagles' AFCON 2023 participation without obtaining the necessary sponsorship rights are immoral and illegal.