Greenfield Assets haven’t pulled out of 2018 NSF- Umeseaka

The major sponsor of the 19th National Sports Festival, Greenfield Assets Limited have denied reports making the rounds that they have pulled out of the sports festival due to financial constraints.

It will be noted that the Greenfield Assets limited entered into a partnership with the federal government through the ministry of youth and sports development to operate, promote, manage and provide all marketing activities for the Festival for a period of 10 years through the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) - National Sports Festival Marketing and Management Company Limited.

The manager of the SPV, Mr Ugo Umeseaka in a telephone interview denied that the Greenfield Assets Limited have backed out of the Festivals because of their inability to contribute N400m of the budget.

According to media reports, Dalung had told State House correspondents after meeting at the Presidential Villa that the fate of the festival, which was scheduled to start on December 6, hangs in the balance after the initial private sector partner, which was supposed to contribute N400 million of the budget backed out.

“There was no request for money. Is the budget for the sports festival N400m? N400m cannot run the sports festival. So how can we pull out because of N400m?” he queried.

He further reiterated that the festival will hold as scheduled while putting allaying fears and concerns that it will not hold.

“We are still very much on and we are still partners with the federal government. You will see us during the Games. The Festival is holding and it will be a reality, it will be fullfledged. Nothing is stopping it”, he said.