Dikko highlights Government’s global role in building successful Football Leagues, explains support for NPFL

National Sports Commission Chairman, Shehu Dikko.

National Sports Commission Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has underscored the critical role governments play in laying the foundation for successful football leagues across the world.

Speaking against the backdrop of criticism over the Federal Government’s intervention in the Nigerian domestic league, the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Dikko maintained that such support is essential to place the league on a stronger path to growth and sustainability.

Dikko insisted that such intervention is necessary to reposition the league for sustainable growth.

Reflecting on his time as Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), Dikko said one of the major obstacles to the league’s development during his tenure was the absence of political will and institutional backing.

“We would have been accused of negligence if we failed to do what we are doing now, yet some people are still against it,” he said. “If I had enjoyed this kind of government support during my time, we would have taken the league to a much higher level by now.

“I was in charge of the league from 2013 to 2022, so I know what I am talking about. Throughout that period, not even one kobo came from government to support the league. In fact, some people in government were actively working against us. I would work hard to generate revenue for the league, only for some government officials to call sponsors and discourage them from working with us.

“Now that we are in a position to make a difference, we cannot repeat the same mistakes. It makes no sense to keep doing the same thing when it is clearly not producing results.”

Dikko noted that the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had chosen to step in because of the widespread concern over the poor state of the domestic league.

“We have all complained that the league is in bad shape and needs support. Now that the government has decided to intervene, some people are complaining. Our duty as a government is to provide the enabling environment for sports to succeed. Wherever we can intervene directly or indirectly, we will do so,” he added.

The NSC chairman also pointed to the Commission’s recent success in attracting private sponsorship for sporting activities, arguing that similar efforts could be replicated in football.

“We raised N5 billion for the National Sports Festival from just one sponsor,” he said. “So why can’t we work together and achieve something similar for the league? That sponsor was attracted by the innovations introduced at the last NSF in Abeokuta, such as the Invited Junior Athletes initiative.

“If we bring more innovation into the league, sponsors will be encouraged to come in. That is why we are putting down N2.5 billion and pushing towards a N2 million minimum wage. We have to make the product more attractive to investors.”

He further revealed that the NSC had already secured commitments from top-tier sponsors for school sports, with projected investments exceeding the current total revenue of the NPFL.

“The league should be more lucrative than it currently is. So why can’t we work together with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the NPFL to move in that direction?” he asked.

Similar Interventions

National Sports Commission Chairman, Shehu Dikko (middle), Director-General, National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade (left) and Nigeria Football Federation President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau (right) during the stategic meeting.

Dikko also dismissed claims that governments do not support successful football leagues abroad, citing examples from England, South Africa and Morocco.

“When the English Premier League started in 1992, the British government reportedly invested £200 million to get it off the ground. At the time, people complained, but today the government earns billions of pounds in taxes from the league.

“In South Africa, the government supports the league indirectly through the SABC, which acquires free-to-air broadcast rights. In Morocco, the government provides subventions to clubs, repairs stadiums, buys outside broadcast vans and undertakes several other interventions to help the league grow.”

According to Dikko, strategic government investment in the domestic league will ultimately benefit the broader Nigerian economy.

“Just as the British government now earns significant returns from its investment in the EPL, the same can happen in Nigeria. The money we put into the league will come back into the economy. We will build a truly professional league, ensure players are better paid, and create more jobs in the sports sector,” he explained.

Olopade

Also speaking at the event, NSC Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade expressed confidence in Dikko’s ability to transform the league, noting that his experience places him in a strong position to identify and solve its problems.

“Mallam Dikko managed the league for several years, so if anyone understands where the problems lie, it is him. He is well placed to proffer solutions, and with a President who is determined to fix the situation, there is every reason to believe progress can be made,” Olopade stated.

Gusau

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, also urged stakeholders and the media to support the current administration’s efforts to revive the domestic league.

“I remember those days when we thought we were about to strike gold with the league, only for a government official to call sponsors overnight and they would back off. Now that we have a government willing to support the league’s development, we should encourage them rather than discourage them,” he said.

Chairman of the NPFL Club Owners Association, Sir Okey Kpaluku, also commended the Federal Government and the NSC for stepping in to support the league.

“You need money to run a successful league. Without government support, it becomes very difficult. The private sector can only come in meaningfully after government has demonstrated commitment. We must first make the league attractive to investors. On behalf of the NPFL clubs, I thank the Federal Government for this intervention,” Kpaluku stated.