Nike, an American Multinational Corporation engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services has announced an extension of its partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to 2026.
Relatedly, it has also opened shops in the country with the launch of its flagship store at the Ikeja City Mall, Lagos, Nigeria.
Nike became Nigeria’s kit supplier in April 2015 when it replaced Adidas, however, the new Nike Nigeria kit deal will initially run for four years, but an automatic renewal clause will take the collaboration through to the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
However, the grand opening of the store is expected to be significant not just because it marks the entrance of Nike into the Nigerian market, but it also coincides with Nike’s 50th anniversary globally.
Created in Oregon, USA, in 1971, Nike has grown into a worldwide behemoth in sports apparel and athletic lifestyle; known for partnerships with the biggest sports teams, personalities, and athletes, and for supporting a culture of fitness and athleisure all over the world.
Nike’s flagship store is powered by Hudson Brand Development Nigeria [HBDN], a subsidiary of Hudson Holdings Group, a leading retail and distribution Group renowned for representing NIKE and a host of other sports and fashion brands in over 30 African countries.
Speaking on the launch, Kieran Murphy, Country General Manager of HBDN said: “We are extremely proud to open the Nike Flagship store here in Lagos, the first in West Africa,”
“Nigeria has had a strong role in the history of Nike, and this constitutes an important step for the presence of the brand on the continent. The fact that this is happening on the 50th anniversary of Nike only adds relevance to what we are doing and makes us embrace the future with confidence.”
Speaking on the deal, NFF President Amaju Pinnick described the financial terms of the agreement, which now also include Nigeria’s women’s team and are yet to be confirmed as an “improved contract”.
While speaking to the members of the media, Pinnick said, “This four plus four deal is the best any African country has ever had with Nike, I can say it is about a hundred percent better than anything else.”
He added “A few months after we came on board for our first term in office, I was told that we needed to buy jerseys for the national team to play a football match. That was how bad it was because the kit sponsor at that time terminated the contract. So, I made contacts with some highly connected persons and worked hard to convince Nike to come on board. We were coming from a weak position but they made the agreement flexible for us.”
“We are happy we teamed up with Nike because after we qualified and participated at the FIFA World Cup in Russia, the company was the one chasing us for a new improved contract,”
Shehu Dikki, the NFF’s Vice President and Head of Marketing, added: “We are very happy because this new agreement comes with good money on an annual basis, more supplies, improved qualification bonus for our teams, door-to-door delivery of kits, royalty for the NFF on jerseys sold and it has now been expanded to include our women, national teams.”
In his remarks, Tina Salminen, Nike’s Regional Sports Marketing Director for Africa, added: “The World Cup kit has remained a source of reference in Nike meetings and events ever since. Nigeria is one of the big teams in world football and we are happy to get them to sign a long-term contract.”
In furtherance of the store launch, Kieran promises that customers in Nigeria can look forward to the global standard of excellence that NIKE is reputed for, as well as the finest customer service imaginable. “It is a state-of-the-art store, and we are looking forward to welcoming our customers and delivering to them a great shopping experience,” he says.
To further prove their desire to forge strong commercial and social ties in Nigeria, Hudson is proud to join Nike as partners of The Asisat Oshoala Foundation, an organisation working towards sports and social development causes for young girls in Nigeria. It is the brainchild of Asisat Oshoala, captain of the Nigeria women’s football team.