Oil giants, Capital Oil and Gas and Anambra based NPFL club side FC Ifeanyi Ubah have inked a long term partnership deal with English Premier League side, West Ham United FC.
The deal, which was officially signed today in London is set to be unveiled at the Olympic stadium on Sunday, August 21, just before West Ham United FC’s first home league match against Bournemouth.
This landmark partnership deal is expected to provide Capital Oil and Gas with a range of rights; visibility and awareness to promote its business through the FC Ifeanyi Ubah as well as focusing on B2B interaction through the use of hospitality at the Hammers’ iconic new home.
The deal, which is also the first of its kind for a Nigerian Football Club side, will see FC Ifeanyi Ubah and West Ham United FC join forces on a number of football-related projects, ranging from player exchanges and best-practice coaching initiatives to establishing grass roots football programmes in Nigeria, all with a view to improving the standard of football across the region.
Reacting to the development, Proprietor of FC Ifeanyi Ubah and Chairman of Capital Oil and Gas, Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, said the partnership couldn’t have come at a better time than this as it will bring about a massive upliftment of the round leather game in this side of the globe which have an astronomical fan followership.
“We are extremely excited to have signed a partnership with West Ham United and are excited by the prospect of what we can achieve together. This is going to be a massive turnaround for FC Ifeanyi Ubah, Nigerian football and African football by extension.
“West Ham were our first choice of all of the Premier League clubs given the club’s rich history, unrivalled reputation for developing talent, which we strongly believe will help boost FC Ifeanyi Ubah academy and of course, the new stadium in Stratford.
“Together with West Ham’s continued success on the field, this is a valuable proposition for our own club’s learning and evolution,” Ubah said.
In his reaction, West Ham United Vice-Chairman, Karren Brady, said the partnership deal was timely as West Ham United have gradually grown to become a house hold name in Nigeria and by extension in Africa.
“This ground-breaking partnership serves to further emphasise our growing international profile, bringing the famous West Ham United name to Africa for the first time in a partnership context.
“The popularity of Premier League football in West Africa has been well documented and it is testament to the club’s success, on and off the pitch that we are now considered one of the most high profile and attractive clubs in the region.
“We are looking forward to working alongside FC Ifeanyi Ubah and building a strong legacy in Nigerian football inspired by West Ham United,” said Brady.
It is widely believed that the new deal will galvanise the Anambra Warriors’ quest to annex the Federation Cup trophy and secure a place in CAF organised competition come next season.