Spires 5-Aside Naija Street Soccer Tournament has unveiled telecommunications infrastructure firm IHS as its new partner ahead of the 2026 state championship in October.
The unveiling ceremony was held in collaboration with the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) on Wednesday, with LSSC Director-General Lekan Fatodu and other top commission officials in attendance, alongside members of the media.
Spires Media PR Manager Victor Ottah described the partnership as one that ‘ticks all the boxes,’ noting that IHS, which manages over 16,000 mobile-phone towers and sites across the country, would drive the Spires 5-Aside project beyond the football pitch through a range of initiatives.
‘This partnership is best described as one made in heaven,’ Ottah said. ‘IHS is known for bringing people closer through its work in telecommunications, and now they are with Spires Media for a collaboration that will propel the Spires 5-Aside project with significant innovations.’
Fatodu praised IHS for choosing to partner with a credible brand in Spires Media to grow the Naija Street Soccer Tournament.
‘This is a partnership that is long overdue. As a commission, we have closely monitored the activities of Spires Media through the Spires 5-Aside project over the last three years, and I make bold to say it’s the most professionally run 5-Aside tournament not only in Nigeria but across the West African sub-region,’ he said.
Fatodu also pledged the LSSC’s support for this year’s state championship.
‘We will provide every support within our capacity and ensure that both IHS and Spires Media have an enabling environment to host the 2026 state championship,’ he said.
Spires 5-Aside initiator and Spires Media CEO Dr Bankole Allibay said he was excited about what the project could achieve with the new collaboration.
‘I must appreciate IHS for trusting us enough with this project. We have done this alone over the last three years, and the successes recorded speak for themselves. Now imagine what we can achieve with this partnership,’ Allibay said.
The next phase of the Spires 5-Aside-IHS partnership unveiling will take place in collaboration with the Lagos State Football Association on Tuesday, 1 September 2026.
Sixteen teams across five divisions in Lagos will compete in the third season of the Spires 5-Aside Naija Street Soccer Tournament, starting 24 October in Lagos.