Nigerian National Lottery chief promises industry ‘boom’ amid reforms

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has revealed a new brand identity for the Lagos State Lotteries Board following a mandate for change in the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority Bill.
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The Director-General of the Nigerian National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) has claimed that the country’s lottery industry will witness a boom after reforms made in 2017 begin to improve performance. 

As reported in BluePrint, Lanre Gbajabiamila has told the local press that the boom would significantly increase Nigeria’s total internal income and will provide benefits for all stakeholders in the industry. 

Gbajabiamila said that the 2017 reforms are now beginning to yield positive results. Changes implemented are upgrading the lottery’s business with an emphasis on improving workers’ rights and enhancing the overall business environment to help boost the financial performance of the lottery. 

In 2017, the Commission underwent a restructuring process that changed the number of directors from three to five, which Gbajabiamila claims creates a more democratic environment and gives more workers the opportunity for career advancement.

Additionally, measures were brought in to take more care of the NLRC’s staff including the introduction of facilities and equipment to easily complete tasks. 

Earlier this year it was announced that Nigeria would implement a Central Monitoring System amid a change in the National Lottery Act which seeks to decrease allegations of malpractice within the NLRC.

Lastly, the Director-General informed reporters that litigation bills have drastically decreased over the last four years allowing more cash reserves to be invested into the lottery’s operations. 

Gbajabiamila spoke to BluePrint about the industry’s proposed boom: “Our revenue profile has been on a steady increase, regardless of the challenges faced by the Commission while trying to perform our regulatory functions.

“I am glad that the process for the acquisition of the much needed Central Monitoring System for our operations is on course and the fact that the amendment of the National Lottery Act is in progress at the National Assembly where the proposal has scaled first readings at the upper and lower chambers make me enthusiastic that the transformation of the industry would be complete in a short while and Nigeria would witness a boom in the lottery industry.”