The Director-General (D-G) of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mr. Samuel Awuku has promised to assist Nigeria build a strong lottery industry.
He said this when the leadership of the Nigeria License Lottery Operators paid a working visit to NLA.
According to Mr. Samuel Awuku, NLA and the Nigeria License Lottery Operators must collaborate to enhance their operations, relying solely on integrity as a key driving force.
“It is interesting to know that Nigeria uses our Draw Numbers. That is because of the integrity and credibility of our system. But, in as much as Nigeria is benefiting from NLA, we hope that this working relationship would also rake in some benefits for us in Ghana as well,” he said.
Citing Ivory Coast and Sierra-Leon as countries that depend on Ghana’s Draw Numbers, Mr. Samuel Awuku mentioned that Ghana is also committed to the ECOWAS project, and it will be prudent for Ghana and Nigeria to collaborate to earn enormous benefits from that endeavor.
Noting challenges of Ghana’s Draw Numbers being in contention in Nigeria, Mr. Awuku assured the team of working to resolve it swiftly. He also urged Nigeria to learn from NLA’s practice of giving part of its proceeds from revenue generated to charity, sports development, health and education.
He also dispelled the claims that spiritualists can give out lotto numbers for people to win. He said people who engage in such ventures are fake because “we don’t conjure numbers, it is purely a game of chance.”
The NLA D-G also pointed out that in the coming days, NLA will be going stronger on anybody operating without a license.
“That also apply to those using our numbers outside Ghana. All private lotto operators must also ensure that they obtain a license to do so,” he warned.
On their part, the leadership of the Nigeria Licensed Lottery Operators said their visit to the National Lottery Authority (NLA) is to rekindle their working relationship and build a strong bond that will be beneficial to both countries.
According to him, building a good working relationship with the Nigerian lottery sector is necessary because Nigeria depends or uses Ghana’s Draw Numbers because of its integrity.
Chima Onwuka, Chairman of Nigeria License Lotto Operators, who led the delegation, said their presence in Ghana is to improve the already existing relationship between the two institutions.
“Our visit here is for us to rekindle the relationship that has existed between lotto operators in Nigeria and the NLA in Ghana,” he said.
He also noted that the development of lottery hinges on integrity, hence the commitment Ghana has attached to integrity in building its lottery system is imperative for Nigeria to learn more from Ghana.
Chima Onwuka said their engagement with NLA would also fashion out ways the Nigeria Lottory Operators can pay royalties to Ghana in the use of its draw numbers.
He hopes that their engagement with the NLA will boost their operations back in Nigeria.
