By Mark Baber
May 19 – A row has broken out in Nigeria over what is being termed the “slave contract” between Nike and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) over the sponsorship of national team shirts. The argument sees the NFF marketing department pitted against the Pinnick-led hierarchy, with neither party keen to discuss a major underlying issue – sports brands’ reluctance to sponsor a federation in which homophobia poses significant reputational risks.
Nike took the risk of sponsoring the Nigerian Federation last month, refusing to answer questions about the ban on lesbian players declared by head of the Women’s Committee and deputy head of the NFF Ethics and Fair Play Committee Dilichukwu Onyedinma.
However, the NFF Director of Marketing, Idris Adama, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the contract signed, calling it a “slave deal” and telling local media that none should be fooled by the $2.75 million value placed on the 3.5 year contract, as the figure only covers cost of kits to be supplied to the federation within the time period.
According to Adama, with no retainers fees attached to the contract, the various national teams will merely serve as an advertising channel for Nike products, in sharp contrast to the previous deal with Adidas which saw the German company pay a $750,000 retainer.
Adama revealed that Nike’s Sports Marketing Director African and Latin American Football Players at Nike Tina Salminen had turned down an earlier offer by the Federation of: “A retainership fee of $12.5 million per annum for a minimum term of six years with 20 per cent increment per annum subject to terms and conditions to be stipulated in the contract agreement.
“Royalty on sales of replica have 20 per cent proceed subject to a guaranteed minimum $750m per annum. That is royalty but the qualification bonus will be discussed when we get to the negotiation table.”
According to Adama, after Pinnick took over as NFF President, the new leadership “hijacked the contract negotiations without knowing the foundation that has been laid. They sidelined me and because the Nike lady was not comfortable because I have a higher bargaining power, they went and made the federation look like a cheap commodity.”
Adidas allowed their sponsorship to lapse after the lesbian ban issue came to light, but Adama blamed their pull-out on coach Stephen Keshi and some of the players breaking the terms of their contract and wearing Nike kit during the World Cup in Brazil.
Chairman of the Marketing and Sponsorship Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Emeka Inyama responded to the row telling local media there had been no shady dealings with the kit manufacturer and calling for support “from all sections of the media.”
According to Inyama: “We must also ask a pertinent question: How come Adidas pulled out despite the fact that we won the FIFA U-17 World Cup (2013), Africa Cup of Nations (2013), African Youth Championship (2011), African Women Championship (2010), reached the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup and qualified for all FIFA competitions, including performing creditably in those competitions? This is food for thought.”
Inyama also revealed that “Puma and Under Armour are some of the brands that did not show interest. Nike was reluctant as well, and don’t forget that we were also negotiating from the weak position of a federation whose flagship team had failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.”
“Nike was reluctant but after investigating thoroughly the calibre of people running the Federation presently, they consented and said these are people they trust and could do business with.
“The President and Chairman of Marketing Committee should be commended for the efforts they made to get Nike, which has saved the country up to $3 million in purchase of jerseys for the National Teams to take part in matches and competitions.
“It is also a white lie to say that there is no fee in the contract. There are bonuses and products, and payments that are open to negotiation when our teams do well at international tournaments. At the appropriate time, we will publish the contract agreement for all to see.”
So it seems Nike have driven a hard bargain with the NFF, which is not surprising considering the reputational risks the company, which markets itself as a great supporter of gay rights in the USA, runs in sponsoring a Federation whose head of Women’s Committee, and recently appointed deputy Chair of the Committee of Ethics and Fair Play, Dilichukwu Onyedinma, is on record as saying “Yeah, we don’t tolerate lesbianism and we always discuss it whenever we meet. We always warn clubs and club chairmen, to please tell their players to desist from it, because any player that we pick for national competitions, and we hear a little story that is involved in that, we disqualify the player.”
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