Rafa corporation signs three-year shirt sponsorship with kano pillars, announces plans for rafa football academy
Rafa Corporation, the company behind the rapidly growing Rafa Detergents brand, has signed a three-year shirt sponsorship agreement with Kano Pillars Football Club.
Unveiled in Kano under the theme, “Together for a Stronger Tomorrow,” the partnership featured three new official Kano Pillars jerseys bearing the Rafa brand logo. It strengthens Rafa’s connection with consumers while supporting Nigerian football and creating opportunities for young people.
The agreement was signed by Alhaji Kabiru Rabiu, Chairman of Rafa Corporation and Group Executive Director of BUA Group, and Alhaji Ahmed Musbahu Garo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kano Pillars Football Club.
Speaking at the unveiling, Rabiu described the sponsorship as a natural connection between a proudly Nigerian manufacturing business and a football institution whose significance extends far beyond the field of play.
“We are very excited to form this partnership with Kano Pillars,” he said.
The club’s extraordinary following, enduring place in Kano’s identity and distinguished contribution to Nigerian football, he explained, made it a compelling partner for Rafa. For many people born and raised in Kano, supporting Pillars begins in childhood and becomes a lifelong attachment.
Football, Rabiu added, brings young people together, encouraging discipline, friendship and a shared sense of purpose. Rafa’s involvement would extend beyond brand visibility to supporting the club’s development and expanding its reach across Nigeria and beyond.
Recalling earlier support for Kano Pillars around 2013, he described the agreement as a renewal of a longstanding connection and a foundation for greater collaboration. He also commended the Executive Governor of Kano State, His Excellency, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, for his continued support for the club and commitment to youth and human capital development.
Welcoming the partnership, Garo described it as one of the most significant achievements of his tenure and an important step towards strengthening the club’s commercial foundations.
“We are very happy with this partnership as the State Government encourages Kano Pillars to be financially self-sufficient,” he said.
Garo thanked Rafa Corporation for its support, noting that stronger private-sector partnerships would help reduce dependence on government funding, support academy development and provide a sustainable foundation for sporting success. He expressed confidence that the collaboration would bring renewed momentum to the club and contribute to a successful season.
As part of the broader collaboration, Rabiu disclosed that discussions were underway on establishing a Rafa Football Academy in partnership with Kano Pillars. The proposed academy would identify and nurture promising young players through structured coaching, discipline and development opportunities, preparing them to represent Kano Pillars, progress to national teams and pursue professional careers internationally.
He emphasised that discussions remained at an early stage but expressed optimism about the academy’s potential to create lasting opportunities for young talent and deepen the relationship between Rafa and the club.
Founded in 1990, Kano Pillars is one of Nigerian football’s most distinguished institutions. The club has won four national league championships—in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014—including three consecutive titles. Its honours also include the 2019 Federation Cup and a semi-final appearance in the 2009 CAF Champions League.
Known affectionately as Sai Masu Gida, the club commands a passionate following centred on the Sani Abacha Stadium and extending well beyond Kano. It has made an encouraging start to the 2026/27 Nigeria Premier Football League season, remaining unbeaten through its opening six matches and standing fifth following its 3 October fixture.
The sponsorship comes as Rafa Corporation advances a substantial manufacturing investment programme aimed at building one of Africa’s leading home and personal care businesses.
Through Starium Detergents FZE, Rafa operates an 80,000-tonne-per-annum powder detergent manufacturing facility in Alaro City, Epe, Lagos. Since commencing production in 2024, the business has focused on modern manufacturing, consistent product quality and the development of the Rafa brand.
A second detergent production line, targeted for commissioning in 2027, will increase annual installed powder detergent capacity to approximately 200,000 tonnes, strengthening the company’s ability to meet Nigerian demand and support regional growth.
Rafa has also signed contracts for a continuous saponification plant integrated with a continuous vacuum soap cooling and drying plant, with a production capacity of 10 tonnes per hour. Designed to manufacture multipurpose soap bars and soap noodles, the facility is expected, upon commissioning, to become Nigeria’s largest single-line continuous saponification operation.
Complementing this investment are two toilet soap finishing lines, each with a capacity of four tonnes per hour, incorporating automated soap noodle conveying and modern production technology. These additions will broaden Rafa’s product portfolio and strengthen its manufacturing capabilities across home and personal care categories.
Together, these investments demonstrate the scale of Rafa’s ambition to build an integrated African consumer goods enterprise founded on substantial production capacity, trusted brands and sustained investment. Its strategy reflects confidence in Nigerian consumers and in the ability of African businesses to build competitive brands, create employment and serve markets beyond their home country.
The partnership with Kano Pillars extends that commitment into sport. By supporting a celebrated football institution and exploring new pathways for young talent, Rafa is connecting its commercial growth with the aspirations of the communities it serves.
For both organisations, “Together for a Stronger Tomorrow” expresses a shared determination to create opportunity, inspire pride and carry Nigerian ambition onto a larger stage.
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