Opinion: Transfer Of Players, Its Economic Benefit To Grassroot Football And Related Challenges In Nigeria Football

Opinion: Transfer Of Players, Its Economic Benefit To Grassroot Football And Related Challenges In Nigeria Football

By Audu Lawal

The football industry is one that is systematically managed using extant laws and regulations (FIFA Statues and other subsidiary legislation) to exploit potentials and consequently generate wealth for the development of the beautiful game and stakeholders in the sector.

In nations were the rules are adhered to religiously the trajectory has been one of continues growth to the economy of such nations.

The transfer of player is regulated by the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) particularly by the provisions of Annexe 3, 3A, 4 & 5 of the rules which enactment tends to promote standard ethical practice in the movement of players from one club to the other either domestically of internationally.

FIFA in her wisdom have created mechanism for empowered grassroot teams through training compensation and solidarity mechanism, this policy strengthen Academy teams and other Amature teams who’s players have successfully moved from one club to the other, the intention is for money received as compensation to be injected into the system, which will in turn help in subsequent identification of talents and nurturing them for greater achievements.

The training compensation policy which allows club that have trained a player at any point from the age of 12 to 23 to benefit from the 5% deduction from the players transfer fee when summed could contribute massively to the development of the grassroot teams.

To complement the above provision is the creation of a solidarity fund a pool of fund which the grassroot clubs will benefit from so long as there is a subsequent transfer of the player mostly on international transfer.

In Nigeria the system has not protected grassroot teams as much as expected, as a lot of players who are plying their trade overseas started from the various village, community or rural settlement unfortunately this teams which stood as the foundation of the players development have been cut off the chain of beneficiaries of financial transaction in relation to the players.

Lack of awareness and ignorance on the part of grassroot teams and their management have not help the development of football in Nigeria, little wonder people take advantage of this unfortunate situation to maximally enrich themselves at the detriment of football development in the country, ironically the system which is suppose to checkmate this ugly trend have fail to come up with effective strategy to deal with the menace.

Instruments such as the Transfer Matching System, Players Passport, FIFA Connect which are used by FIFA and member associations to generate data of players and their clubs are not been adequately utilize as a lot of the grassroot teams and management know little or nothing about the protective mechanism.

The inability of the football authorities at the different level to ensure compliance of the rules has continue to affect the development of football especially at the grassroot.

Some ways upon which this abnormality can be address will include but not limited to the following:

The NFF should ensure that all relevant stakeholders in the industry comply wholly with the various provisions of RSTP and ensure adequate sanctions on defaulting persons or organisation.

The NFF and State FA should organise training and enlightenment programmes for selected members (especially volunteers), who would in turn reach out to the club at the grassroot to educate them of their rights and channel in protecting them.

NFF should create a greater synergy and effective work relationship with the 

States FA and encourage the States FA to do same with the Local Govt/Area Council FA, in turn the Local Government FA should create Community Football Councils, this will definitely take football policies education to the grassroot.

The NFF should ensure adequate monitoring of her implemention and enforcement unit, ensure corruption at that level is brought to the bearest minimum.

The NFF should also engage the media to help enlighten stakeholders on the danger of not complying with international best practice in dealing with transfer policies.

The Players Statutes Committee and National Dispute resolution Chamber should be fortified and giving the independence it requires to carry out her job.

It is pertinent to state that there exist certain bodies and group willing to assist the football federation to propagate and educate grassroot teams and local football managers, a good example is the Legal Advocacy for the Advancement of Football in Nigeria that took the pain, utilized her funds to go round the FCT visiting football stakeholders to educate them on the above topic and related issues.

There is no doubt that if such bodies are encouraged Nigeria football will be the greater beneficiary.

I therefore submit that the growth of football in continents such as Europe, Asia and South America is not rocket science but due to genuine effort borne out of sincere aspirations for the growth of grassroot football and ultimately the advancement of human development and economic growth.

In Conclusion, no single man can take the blame for the decadent in our football but we can all work together for the prosperity of the beautiful game.