Adeyanju Urges States to Lift Ban on Lottery

The Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), Comrade Tosin Adeyanju, has made a passionate appeal to state governments to permit lottery operations within their territories.

He made the appeal during the Regional Conference on Climate Change-Induced Conflicts in Northern Nigeria, hosted by the Kaduna State Bureau of Interfaith in collaboration with the humanitarian organisation International Alert.

“In Nigeria, we often lament over everything while we don’t do much on the solution,” Adeyanju said. “I’m aware that there’s a lot of misinformation about lottery. What we do is Good Causes, which we do through the lottery proceeds that come to the Federal Government.”

The NLTF boss emphasised that the lottery proceeds are utilised to meet the needs of Nigerians in critical areas such as water interventions, environment, education, sport, agriculture, health, and humanitarian interventions.

Adeyanju also highlighted the role of the gaming industry in addressing climate change issues.

“Earlier, we spoke on what climate change has caused due to scarce resources. The gaming industry, which contributes to the development of nations worldwide, and Nigeria is not an exception, can be leveraged to solve some of the issues surrounding the climate change-induced crisis ravaging northern Nigeria,” said Adeyanju.

The NLTF boss further noted that many communities have benefited from lottery proceeds, which have been utilised to meet various needs.

“Many communities have written to us seeking assistance in many areas, which we have already assisted and still working towards assisting others using proceeds of lottery coming to the Federal Government,” he stated.

Adeyanju urged the states that have banned lottery operations to reconsider lifting the ban and cooperate with the state branches of the NLTF in order to ensure smooth operations, as he stressed that the purpose of the establishment of the agency by the Federal Government is for the execution of Good Causes, which entails some of the interventions required by the states in tackling climate change-related issues.

“We are urging states in Nigeria who have made efforts to stop lottery to please reconsider,” he appealed, adding that “by reconsidering their decisions, they will help to reduce criminality among the youths. We have begun advocacy on responsible gambling/lottery through the nationwide sensitization that we started this year.” 

Adeyanju’s call to action came at a critical time as Nigeria grapples with climate change-induced conflicts and socio-economic challenges. By embracing lottery operations, state governments can tap into this vital source of funding, ultimately benefiting their most vulnerable citizens.

Dignitaries at the event included Governor Uba Sani, Deputy Governor Hadiza Sabuwa, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar II and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Reverend Dr. D.C. Okoh.