Nwankwo Kanu, Davido, Jay Jay Okocha, Emmanuel Ejekwu (Sabinus), Victor Ikpeba

Online sports betting is growing at a geometric pace in Nigeria and several factors have been identified as the driving forces behind the rapid growth. Being a country with a well documented followership of sports and immense population, Nigeria is an ideal location for a thriving online betting business.

The potentials and possibilities of online betting in Nigeria are almost limitless and that accounts for the high number of betting companies operating in the country presently.

As a result of these factors and likelihood of a huge profit, many online betting companies are falling over themselves to establish their presence in Nigeria and get a share of the huge market.

This leads to intense competition among the various operators. Given that the operators are in the market to make profits, they devise means of winning over new customers or users to their betting platform.

Many betting companies now give loads of  free bets and other types of bonuses like Accumulator bonus, one-game cut offer, and various kinds of promotions to new customers.

However, a more common approach is to enlist the services of Celebrities as Brand Ambassadors to give their brand more visibility with the ultimate aim of tapping into their huge fan base.

This is because of the fact that celebrities are generally seen as opinion moulders and influencers. So far, Celebrity endorsements of betting companies is the go to method to edge competitors. As a result, a number of betting companies have jumped on this trend and more celebrities are likely to be enlisted in the coming months.

Let’s take a closer look at the leading Nigerian Celebrities and their betting company affiliations:

1. Nwankwo Kanu – Sportybet

Kanu is yet another mega football star who has thrown his weight behind a betting company in Nigeria.

The former Ajax and Arsenal star was  announced as the face of Sportybet in Nigeria in June of 2016.Eversince, the bookmaker has enjoyed continued popularity and an increased customer base.

This partnership is regarded as one of the most successful between a betting company and a Nigerian celebrity.

2. Davido – 1xBet

David Adeleke, better known as Davido is a global music star with a cult-like following in Nigeria and the rest of the world.

The ‘Assurance crooner’ is one of the major brand Ambassadors of European bookmaker 1xbet. In May of 2021, he was unveiled as a Brand Ambassador of the Eastern European bookmaker.

Given his popularity with Nigerian youths, it is a no brainer that the bookmaker is using the artiste for all their commercials on different platforms.

As of today, the partnership is waxing stronger and chances are that union will run for many more years to come.

3.Jay Jay Okocha – Betking

Born Augustine Azuka Okocha, Jay jay is one of the greatest Football players out of Nigeria.

Aside from staring for the Eagles for more than a decade, the mercurial midfielder had a stellar career in France, Turkey and England.

In 2018, long after his football career, he was announced a Brand Ambassador for Nigerian betting company, Betking.

He has featured in Television promotional campaigns for the bookmaker as well as representing the company in many social functions.

The partnership is one of the shining examples of a perfect match between a celebrity and betting outfit.

4.Emmanuel Ejekwu (Sabinus) – AccessBet

Emmanuel Ejekwu widely known as ‘Mr Sabinus’ is a fast growing comedian and internet sensation.

He is the biggest Instagram Comic act in Nigeria presently. Ejekwu was snapped up by Accessbet as a face for their brand in January of 2022.

He now headlines all the promotional campaigns of the company including on-page campaigns and other forms of advertisements.

5. Victor Ikpeba – Bet9ja

The partnership between former Super Eagles international and Bet9ja has been in existence  for close to a decade.

The working union is one of the longest running partnerships between a bookmaker and a Celebrity. Ikpeba’s face is widely featured on both the Bet9ja website and other promotional materials.

The former Monaco and Borussia Dortmund forward signed the dotted lines with one of Nigeria’s foremost betting companies in 2013.

So far, it has been a smooth ride for both parties as the popularity of Bet9ja keeps increasing by the day.