The leadership of the Nigeria Licensed Lottery Operators has paid a working visit to the Ghana National Lottery Authority (NLA) to rekindle their working relationship and build a strong bond that will be beneficial to both countries.
The team from Nigeria which was in the country was taken through how draws are cone about as regards lottery in Ghana.
Meeting the Director-General of the NLA, Sammi Awuku and some officials of the Authority, Chima Onwuka, Chairman of Nigeria License Lotto Operators, who led the delegation enumerated that 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 here in Ghana,” he said.
He also noted that the development of lottery is hinged on integrity hence, with 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 the NLA will also fashion out ways the Nigeria Lottery 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.
Welcoming the team from Nigeria, Director General of the NLA, Sammi Awuku indicated the importance of building the working relationship with Nigeria lottery sector.
According to him, that is necessary because Nigeria depends or uses Ghana’s draw numbers because of its integrity.
Sammi Awuku averred that the relationship that exists between the two lottery industries, both Nigeria and Ghana, must yield much benefits to Ghanaians as well.
He pledged the NLA’s readiness to help Nigeria build a strong lottery industry.
“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 working relationship will also yield something beneficial to us here in Ghana too,” he said.
Sammi Awuku also make references to Ivory Coast and Sierra-Leon as other countries that depend in Ghana’s draw numbers and that Ghana is committed to the ECOWAS project, it is prudent that the two countries, Ghana and Nigeria collaborate well to earn enormous benefit from that endeavor.
He said few of Ghana’s numbers have been contention in Nigeria but hopes those matters can be resolved.
He also urged Nigeria to learn from what NLA does with the proceeds from gaming which go into charity, support for sports development and the development of other sectors.
He also dispelled the claims that spiritualists can give out lotto numbers for people to win. He said people who are engaging in such venture 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, the NLA will be going stronger on anybody operating without license.
“That also goes to those using our numbers outside Ghana. All private lotto operators must also ensure that they obtain license to do so,” he warned.