Football lovers in Nigeria now have another cause for excitement as the football league season gradually winds down, and the countdown for the World Cup intensifies. LaLiga and AJEAST Nigeria, the makers of Big Cola, announced the signing of an agreement which will improve the excitement, content and coverage of LaLiga in the coming season. This will open up another avenue for football fans to connect with their favourite Nigerian stars in the second most-watched league in the country.
The strategic partnership was announced at a press conference in Lagos, on Thursday, April 26th, 2018. The agreement makes the multinational beverage company the Spanish league’s latest regional partner in Nigeria. The press conference was attended by major personalities in both companies: Gregory Bolle, LaLiga’s Head of global partnership sales; Mr. Theo Williams, Country Director of AJEAST Nigeria; and Perpetual Ohiri, Marketing Manager Big Cola Nigeria, took centre stage at this event. Philip Diwan, CEO of Legacy Sports, Javier Del Rio, LaLiga’s Delegate in Nigeria, and LaLiga Ambassador, Mutiu Adepoju were also among those in attendance.
The partnership further reinforces both LaLiga and AJEAST’s continued commitment to consumer satisfaction in Nigeria. Moreover, it will enable the beverage company – who is a major stakeholder in the Nigerian fast moving consumer goods industry – to offer its customers access to exclusive content related to the Spanish football competition.
“LaLiga loves Africa and Nigeria is a strategic country for us, because of its fans and numerous football talents such as Francis Uzoho (Deportivo de la Coruna) and Oghenekaro Etebo (UD Las Palmas). LaLiga is proud to kick off this partnership with a leading beverage brand such as Big Cola,” says Gregory Bolle, LaLiga’s Head of Global Partnership Sales, following the signing of the agreement.
“This partnership will allow our millions of Nigerian LaLiga fans to further engage with the best league in the world. Through this innovative collaboration with Big Cola, we will prove once again that we are committed to becoming closer than ever to our fantastic Nigerian fans,” he further explained.
LaLiga has in recent times shown strong interest in the development of football in the country by partnering with the domestic league and opening an administrative office in the country. This new agreement also illustrates Liga’s successful expansion into Africa to get closer to its Nigerian fans.
This partnership with the makers of Big Cola serves as a validation of the Spanish league management’s intent and their direction in bringing football closer to the people. “This is another major step for LaLiga in the right direction here in Nigeria. Through this partnership with Big Cola, we’ll be able to bring the best League in the world closer to the Nigerian fans and all the young football talents in the country,” said Javier Del Rio, LaLiga’s Delegate for Nigeria.
This mutually beneficial agreement also reaffirms AJEAST’s status as a major player in the development of football in Nigeria. The Country Director of AJEAST Nigeria, Mr. Theo Williams spoke excitedly about the possibilities this kind of partnership brings for the country and both partners. “We are proud to launch this partnership with LaLiga. This partnership provides us with a remarkable platform to broaden Big Cola’s profile and values while giving us another opening to create distinctive experiences for football fans all over Nigeria,” he said.
The details of the agreement give AJEAST Nigeria access to Intellectual Property and marketing rights, tickets and hospitality deals, merchandising, rights to digital assets and social media, public viewing events for the always memorable El Clásico, access to trophy tours and exclusive content from the 20 clubs participating in the Spanish top flight league.
The partnership with Big Cola reaffirms LaLiga’s commitment to Nigeria, joining projects already taken up by the LaLiga office in Nigeria, such as the MoU signing with the NPFL, the NPFL All-Star Trip to Spain, the Legacy Sports Partnership, the LaLiga – NPFL coaching seminar for Nigerian youth coaches, the NPFL U-15 tournament, the MoU signing with the NWFL, and the official LaLiga in Naija media event.
