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Kunle Soname Proposes Weekly Rewards for NPFL Referees, Calls for Total Overhaul of NFF Referees Committee
Chairman of Remo Stars Football Club, Hon. Kunle Soname, has proposed the introduction of a structured weekly reward system for referees in the Nigerian Football Leagues, describing it as a critical step toward improving officiating standards and restoring public confidence in the domestic game.
Soname made the call during his end-of-the-year media interaction in Ikenne, where he spoke extensively on what he described as the long-standing crisis in football officiating in Nigeria. According to him, referees operate under enormous pressure with little motivation, recognition, or welfare support, a situation he believes has negatively affected performance and credibility.
He explained that a performance-based reward system, assessed independently after each match, would encourage professionalism, accountability, and consistency among match officials.
“Referees are central to the credibility of our league,” Soname said. “When officials are motivated and properly rewarded for doing their jobs well, the overall quality of the competition improves. It’s not just about punishment for mistakes; it’s also about recognising excellence.”
Soname added that officials who demonstrate sound judgment, consistency, and strict adherence to the laws of the game should be rewarded, while repeated poor performances should attract corrective actions such as retraining or sanctions.
The Remo Stars owner also lamented the absence of Nigerian referees at major international tournaments, noting that the last time a Nigerian official handled a match at the Africa Cup of Nations was Ghana 2008.
According to him, this alarming statistic reflects deep-rooted structural and welfare issues within Nigeria’s refereeing system.
“For 17 years, not a single Nigerian referee has officiated at AFCON, while referees from smaller footballing nations continue to get selected. This is a clear signal that something is fundamentally wrong,” he said.
He argued that improved welfare and regular incentives would reduce referees’ vulnerability to external influence—an issue that has long plagued Nigerian football—and allow officials to focus solely on their duties and career development.
Soname went further by passing a vote of no confidence on the NFF Referees Appointment Committee, chaired by Mrs Faith Irabor, accusing the body of enabling incompetence and eroding the integrity of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
He cited controversial officiating decisions, including a widely criticised incident involving Insurance FC of Benin, where a clear foul in the penalty area went unpunished. The committee’s justification—stating that the attacker was “in a hot chase” and that “no offence was committed”—was described by Soname as baffling and indefensible.
He also raised concerns about the late change of officiating officials for that match just two days before kickoff and questioned the committee’s vigorous defence of what he called obvious errors.
“This is not about isolated mistakes. It is a pattern that threatens the very integrity of the NPFL,” Soname stated.
“The Referees’ Appointment Committee is not solving the problem; it is enabling it.”
Soname called for an urgent and total overhaul of the Referees Appointment Committee, insisting that Nigerian football cannot progress without a system built on integrity, competence, and transparency.
He also advocated for increased television coverage of NPFL matches, arguing that visibility would improve accountability and deter poor officiating.
“Any league not on TV is like inter-house competition,” he said. “If matches are televised, referees will be more cautious, fans will be more engaged, and the league can be properly commercialised.”
Concluding his remarks, Soname urged the NFF, NPFL management, and referees’ bodies to act decisively to restore trust in the domestic league.
“Nigerian football is bigger than all of us. Our players deserve fairness, our fans deserve honesty, and our league deserves integrity. Nigerian football deserves better.”
His comments have since sparked widespread debate among stakeholders, adding momentum to calls for sweeping reforms in Nigerian football officiating.
