‘Government Support Is Vital to Building a Strong Football League’ – Shehu Dikko

National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has defended the Federal Government’s intervention in the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL), stressing that government backing is essential in laying the foundation for successful football leagues around the world.

Reacting to criticisms of the government’s involvement in the domestic league, Dikko said the intervention is aimed at repositioning Nigerian football and creating an enabling environment for sustainable growth.

The former Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC) reflected on his tenure between 2013 and 2022, lamenting the absence of government support during that period. He revealed that despite efforts to attract sponsorships and generate revenue for the league, some government officials actively discouraged potential partners from working with the LMC.

“We would have been accused of negligence if we failed to do what we are doing now. During my time in charge of the league from 2013 to 2022, not a single kobo came from government to support the league. Instead, there were people within government working against our efforts by discouraging sponsors from partnering with us,” Dikko said.

According to him, the current administration, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken the right step by supporting the domestic league, noting that government has a responsibility to create the conditions for sports to thrive.

“We have consistently complained about the state of the league and the need for support. Now that the government has decided to intervene, some people are criticising the move. Our duty as a government is to provide the necessary enablers for sports development, and wherever intervention is required, we will not hesitate to act,” he added.

Dikko also highlighted the Commission’s success in attracting private sector investment into sports, citing the recent N5 billion sponsorship secured from a single partner for the National Sports Festival. He argued that similar partnerships can be achieved for the domestic league by introducing innovations that make the competition more attractive to investors.

“We secured N5 billion for the National Sports Festival from one sponsor because of the innovations introduced at the last edition in Abeokuta, including the Invited Junior Athletes initiative. If we continue to innovate and improve the league, sponsors will naturally be encouraged to invest. Our N2.5 billion intervention and the push towards a N2 million minimum wage are all part of efforts to make the league a more attractive product,” he stated.

The NSC Chairman further disclosed that several top-tier corporate organisations have already expressed interest in supporting the Commission’s school sports programmes, with proposed investments exceeding the total annual revenue currently generated by the NPFL.

“The financial commitments we are seeing for school sports are significantly higher than the entire revenue of the NPFL. The league has enormous commercial potential, and by working closely with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the NPFL, we can unlock greater opportunities for growth and long-term sustainability,” Dikko concluded.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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