PRESS RELEASE

IFEILE INVESTMENTS AND NIGERIA RUGBY FOOTBALL FEDERATION ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL SPORTS CITY.

Landmark development to establish the Home of Nigeria Rugby and create a world-class international sports, business and lifestyle destination in Ogun State, Nigeria.

LONDON/LUXEMBOURG/OGUN STATE, Nigeria — 04 September 2026

Ifeile Investments and the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) today announced a strategic partnership to develop Gateway International Sports City, a landmark sports, commercial, hospitality and residential development in Ogun State, Nigeria. The project represents an ambitious new chapter for Nigerian rugby and is intended to create a world-class destination that will place Nigeria firmly on the international sporting map. At the heart of Gateway International Sports City will be a major new 70,000 seat Rugby Stadium, supported by an Elite Performance Centre, professional training and development facilities, sports science and performance infrastructure, a hotel and international conferencing facilities, commercial property, residential accommodation and a range of complementary leisure and entertainment uses. The development is intended to become the Home of Nigeria Rugby — providing the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation with a permanent national centre from which to develop the sport at every level, from grassroots and youth participation through to elite and international competition. Gateway International Sports City is conceived as considerably more than a sporting venue. It is intended to become an international sports destination and integrated economic development platform, bringing together elite sport, athlete development, hospitality, business, residential living, entertainment and investment within a single destination.

A new future for Nigerian rugby

The partnership reflects the shared ambition of Ifeile Investments and the NRFF to create the infrastructure required to take Nigerian rugby to its next level. The NRFF has been actively expanding rugby participation, coaching and development programmes across Nigeria, including initiatives aimed at increasing youth and female participation and strengthening technical capacity. (Nigeria Rugby Football Federation⁠)Gateway International Sports City will provide the physical platform to accelerate that development. The Elite Performance Centre is envisaged as a centre of excellence for Nigerian athletes, incorporating high-performance training, coaching, sports science, sports medicine, rehabilitation and athlete development. It will provide a pathway for talented young Nigerians to progress from grassroots participation to elite and international sport.

The ambition extends beyond rugby.

The Sports City will be designed to provide facilities capable of hosting major sporting events, international competitions, conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and cultural programmes, creating a destination capable of attracting visitors, athletes, businesses, sponsors and investors from across Nigeria, Africa and internationally.

Jean-Luc Bressard-Kayode, Principal of Ifeile Investments, said:

“Gateway International Sports City is an exceptionally exciting project because its ambition goes far beyond the construction of a stadium.

We have the opportunity to create a world-class sports city that can fundamentally change the future of rugby in Nigeria while establishing Ogun State as an important international destination for sport, business, investment and tourism.

Our vision is to create an environment in which Nigerian athletes can train, develop and compete at the highest level, while providing the commercial, residential and hospitality infrastructure required to make Gateway International Sports City a genuinely international destination.

Most importantly, this will give Nigerian rugby a permanent home and a platform for sustained growth. We want future generations of Nigerian rugby players to look at Gateway International Sports City and see where their journey can take them.

Ifeile Investments is delighted to be working with the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation and to bring our experience in investment, capital formation, strategic partnerships and development to this extraordinary opportunity.”

Dr. Ademola Are, President of the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation, said:

“Gateway International Sports City represents a transformational opportunity for rugby in Nigeria. For many years, one of the fundamental challenges facing Nigerian rugby has been access to the infrastructure, facilities and resources required to develop the game at the highest level. This project gives us the opportunity to change that permanently. We want Gateway International Sports City to become the home of Nigerian rugby — a place where our young people can discover the sport, where our athletes can develop, where our national teams can prepare and where Nigeria can host major international rugby events. But our vision is much bigger than rugby. We want this development to demonstrate what Nigerian sport can achieve when it is supported by world-class infrastructure, investment and professional management. The partnership with Ifeile Investments gives us an important strategic partner capable of helping us translate this vision into reality, and we are extremely excited about the journey ahead.”

An international destination

Gateway International Sports City is being developed around five core pillars:

RUGBY & ELITE SPORT

A major 70,000 seat rugby stadium, elite performance centre, training facilities and supporting sports infrastructure designed to provide a permanent platform for Nigerian rugby and international sporting events.

RESIDENTIAL LIVING

A high-quality residential community integrated into the Sports City, providing accommodation for residents, athletes, professionals and visitors.

COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

A vibrant commercial environment incorporating offices, retail, business and leisure uses, creating a year-round economic ecosystem around the sporting facilities.

HOTEL & CONFERENCING

International-standard hospitality and conferencing facilities capable of supporting major sporting events, corporate gatherings, exhibitions, international delegations and tourism.

SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT & EVENTS

A destination capable of hosting major sporting competitions, concerts, conferences, exhibitions and other international events. Together, these components are intended to create a destination that remains active throughout the year rather than operating solely around sporting fixtures.

Creating an economic legacy

The partners believe Gateway International Sports City can become an important catalyst for economic development, generating employment, attracting investment, supporting local businesses and creating new opportunities for young Nigerians. The project is also expected to create opportunities for strategic partnerships with major international sporting organisations, global brands, sponsors, hospitality operators, investors and development partners. The ambition is for Gateway International Sports City to become recognised not only as the Home of Nigeria Rugby, but as one of Africa’s leading integrated sports destinations.

From vision to reality

Ifeile Investments will work alongside the NRFF and relevant public- and private-sector stakeholders to advance the project’s development, capital formation, commercia

lisation and strategic partnership programme. The immediate programme will focus on establishing the project’s development and investment framework, progressing master planning and feasibility activities, developing the commercial and sponsorship strategy, engaging strategic partners and investors, and building the international profile of Gateway International Sports City. The partners will also commence a programme of stakeholder engagement designed to introduce the project to government, sporting organisations, institutional investors, corporate sponsors, hospitality and commercial partners and the wider international sporting community.

A legacy for generations

Gateway International Sports City is founded on a simple but ambitious proposition:To create a place where Nigerian sport can develop, Nigerian athletes can excel and international sport can come to Nigeria. The partners believe that, with the right investment and execution, Gateway International Sports City can become a defining piece of sports infrastructure for Nigeria and a landmark destination for Africa.

Gateway International Sports City. HOME OF NIGERIA RUGBY.

Play. Develop. Perform. Inspire.

ABOUT IFEILE INVESTMENTS

Ifeile Investments is an international investment and strategic development company focused on the creation, financing and development of high-value businesses, infrastructure and investment opportunities. Ifeile works with project sponsors, governments, institutions and private-sector partners to structure capital, develop strategic partnerships and bring major projects from concept through to execution.

ABOUT THE NIGERIA RUGBY FOOTBALL FEDERATION

The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) is the governing body for rugby union in Nigeria and is affiliated with the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Rugby Africa and World Rugby. Its mission is to establish Nigeria as a top rugby-playing nation through the development of men’s and women’s leagues, grassroots and schools rugby and robust international representation.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Hayley Hamburg

Rave PR

Email: hayley@ravepr.com