The management of Enugu Rangers International Football Club has entered into a multimillion naira contract with a world-class branding, development and management company, Desgraf & Mart Limited, granting it the exclusive right and license to use the Licenced Marks in the manufacture and distribution of Lotto Sportswear, football and other related items made in Italy.
Signing the 5-year renewable contract at the Club’s headquarters in Enugu, the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer, Prince Davidson Owumi, said that the whole essence was to bring the Rangers’ spirit close to every household in the country and beyond.
Prince Owumi added that the process was also to rekindle “The Never Say Die” spirit of Rangers, stressing that the spirit that brought Rangers into existence was the brilliant spirit of excellence and resilience that united the Igbo after the civil war.
The General Manager disclosed that the Rangers football club equally came into existence as a tool, a momentum, a spirit and a movement that reintegrated the people of the South East with the rest of Nigeria, pointing out that it was “the spirit of you never give up” that saw to “the resurgence of what we are doing here today”.
He therefore thanked the people of the state, Rangers fans, supporters, the press and all those who contributed towards the realization of the dream.
Speaking on behalf of the state government, Barr. Chukwudi Amah of the Legal Unit, Governor’s Office, explained that the exercise was basically a licensing and merchandising contract, stating that by the contract signed, Rangers Management Corporation has given “Desgraf & Mart Limited, an agent of Lotto Sports Italia, the sole licence to use all marks, trade names and designs associated with Rangers in the production, manufacturing, distribution and sale of Rangers’ jersey”.
According to him, “Desgraf and Mart Limited will kit Rangers team with Lotto branded wears, jersey, boots, football and all that the keepers, players and coaching crew will need for the national and continental matches”.
Disclosing that Rangers as a brand is a big name and the only club that has never been relegated in Nigeria, Barr. Amah maintained that “by this contract, we are setting a marker down in the football history of Nigeria”, saying: “We are calling on all good and willing sponsors to come and partner Rangers and advertise their products on this jersey”.
He said that the contract will benefit both parties, adding that there are performance obligations for both parties to fulfill in respect of the agreement reached.
He further called on all brands in Nigeria, companies to come and partner Rangers as “we will brand you with our Lotto jersey, bring publicity to you and you then give us whatever we agree on”.
In his speech, the Chairman of D&M, Ositadimma Agu, stated that it was a great thing that Rangers football club is the only team that Lotto Sports Italia is engaging officially, adding that it goes a long way to underscore the club’s importance in the country and beyond.
Agu, who lauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s commitment to sports, maintained that “there is no single person in this part of the country that doesn’t have the spiritual or psychological connection with Rangers”, saying: “It goes beyond football, as we tell you that Rangers is more than a football club, but a movement. It embodies every single thing about never say die no matter what happens”.
“We are going to use our branding experience to push it (Rangers) to every corner of the world; this is a promise and we are going to do it”, he assured.
