After an initial delay caused by visa hitch, the Premier League trophy arrived Nigeria in the early hours of Friday for a tour of select locations in Lagos.
The tour originally scheduled to kick-off on Thursday was pushed back by a day because of a problem getting the necessary travel documents for officials bringing it. Qed.ng learned.
Pay TV company, MultiChoice Nigeria, which is facilitating the tour, had earlier announced that the trophy will arrive the country on October 26 with a presentation to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja.
Mr. Ambode, however, waited in vain on Thursday until word got to Alausa that the presentation could no longer hold.
A protocol officer in Alausa told our correspondent under the condition of anonymity that “we made all the necessary arrangements for MultiChoice but we were later informed that those bringing the trophy had not arrived Nigeria because of visa hitch.”
Pressed further, he added that “we have cancelled the programme for today, but the governor might be willing to accommodate them again if they eventually come.”
Timothy Okwu of MultiChoice also confirmed in a telephone conversation that the trophy had not arrived Nigeria by Thursday.
He, however, promised that it will be in the country on Friday.
Fans wearing jerseys of their favourite Premier League clubs will have the opportunity to take pictures with the trophy at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Saturday.
This is the second time the trophy will be visiting Nigeria after the first visit in 2011.
General Manager Sales and Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, said of the tour: There is no better way to celebrate the season than to give football lovers an opportunity to get up close with the coveted trophy.”
The Premier League trophy visits different countries where the league is significantly followed every year.
