The chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has defended the federal government’s intervention in the Nigeria Premier Football League, insisting the move is aimed at strengthening the domestic game rather than taking over its administration.
Dikko says government support is essential to reposition the league, attract investors and create a sustainable football economy.
Responding to criticisms of the intervention, the former league management company chairman said government would have been negligent if it failed to support a league that has long struggled with inadequate funding.
He revealed that during his tenure between 2013 and 2022, the league received no financial support from government, adding that political interference also discouraged potential sponsors.
Dikko said the commission’s N2.5 billion intervention is designed to improve the league’s structure, raise standards and make the competition more attractive to corporate investors.
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He cited government support for leagues in England, South Africa and Morocco as examples of how strategic public investment can stimulate growth and generate long-term economic returns.
The NSC chairman also called for closer collaboration among the national sports commission, the Nigeria Football Federation, the NPFL, and other stakeholders to build a stronger and commercially viable domestic league.
The Director-General of the Bational Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, the president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, and NPFL club owners association chairman, Okey Kpaluku, also backed the intervention, urging stakeholders to unite behind efforts to reposition the Nigerian league.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
