Dimeji Adedapo, 1xbet: “We plan to expand to all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, while exploring new formats to scale 1xCup across Kenya”

Dimeji Adedapo, General Manager of the 1xCup Tournament in Nigeria, discusses the tournament’s expansion strategy, community impact and future growth across Nigeria and Kenya.

Exclusive Interview.- Since launching in 2023, the 1xCup Tournament has grown from a corporate social responsibility initiative into one of Nigeria’s leading grassroots football competitions. With a new season approaching and expansion plans taking shape, organisers say the focus is on widening participation while creating opportunities for players and local communities.

In this interview with Focus Gaming News, Dimeji Adedapo discusses 1xCup’s expansion plans, the significance of its recent industry award, the tournament’s impact on grassroots football, and how organisers are strengthening both community engagement and digital visibility.

1xCup started as a grassroots football initiative in Nigeria and has since expanded to Kenya with the Waziri 1xCup. What’s the vision for the next season — are there new markets or formats on the horizon?

For us at 1xCup Nigeria, we are about to start another season. This year, we have decided to select teams from all parts of Lagos using the Ibile format. All 20 local government areas in Lagos will be divided into five divisions, including the LCDAs (Local Council Development Areas), ensuring that no community is left out.

In the coming years, we plan to expand to all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, enabling everyone to participate in our tournament and making 1xCup a household name in Nigeria.

In Kenya, we are currently exploring new formats to scale the 1xCup tournament to other regions. At this stage, I can’t share any specific details, but based on the results of previous seasons, we are confident that the tournament has strong potential and will continue to be in demand.

The project won the Best Sponsorship Programme Award at the Gaming Operators’ Gala & Award Night. What does that recognition mean for the direction of 1xCup, and how does it validate the model you’ve built?

The award and recognition mean a lot to us. It shows that the 1xCup project is being recognised and that people are seeing the impact we are making as organisers. It motivates us to do even more.

 1xCup represents a shift from direct promotion to value-driven, socially oriented initiatives. How do you measure the real impact of that approach — both for the communities you reach and for 1xBet as a brand?

When we started the 1xCup tournament in 2023, it was a corporate social responsibility initiative and a way for our sponsor, 1xBet, to give back to the communities and society where we operate. However, we soon discovered that organising the competition creates significant benefits for local communities.

Market traders around the stadiums record higher sales during the tournament. We also engage many young people from the community every day to move equipment, serve as stewards, work as car park marshals and ball boys, and support branding installations. Football lovers also use the 1xCup period to relax, enjoy themselves and support their teams.

For the players, more than 30 participants in the 1xCup competition since 2023 have gone on to play in the Nigeria Premier Football League and other professional clubs across Africa and Europe. Some have also been scouted for trials in Europe and are close to signing their first professional contracts.

To crown it all, every footballer’s dream is to represent their country. Two of our players, Aderemi Adeoye and Atata Michael, recently represented Nigeria at the Unity Cup in London, where the team won the tournament. Also, Clinton Lawani of Ilupeju Ekiti Pillars, who featured in the 2024 edition and now plays for Sporting Lagos, was recently called up to Nigeria’s U-20 national team for the upcoming WAFU B competition.

This is the kind of exposure and impact the 1xCup competition has had, and we intend to continue creating these opportunities.

For 1xBet as a brand, we are happy and excited to sponsor what we believe is the best grassroots football competition in Nigeria and Africa at the moment. We are proud of how the tournament has grown, and every year we see increasing acceptance among grassroots and amateur football teams, who eagerly await the competition.

The project combines large-scale amateur tournaments with digital visibility. How do you balance the on-the-ground grassroots element with the digital and media strategy around it?

It has not been easy, but over the years we have continued to improve. We carry out a lot of sensitisation for teams, players and fans to encourage them to engage with and make use of the digital opportunities available to them. The sponsor has invested so much in the competition that it can even compete with some professional competitions in its organisation.

This year, we are taking it to the next level, and there will be lots of improvements in every aspect of the competition, which will be visible to all.