What Will It Take To Improve the Nigeria National League?

What Will It Take To Improve the Nigeria National League?

Nigeria’s second tier football league, the Nigeria National League has produced some great teams that have gone on to compete in the Nigeria professional Football League (NPFL) in the last few years.

Similarly, several players have gone from competing in the league to representing Nigeria at different international tournaments.

More recently, no less than 10 players from clubs competing in the NNL were invited by Ladan Bosso for the WAFU B U-20 Championship in Niger Republic.

Despite the recent advancement the league has made, in terms of publicity, there are still some challenges bedeviling the league.

These challenges span paucity of funds, poor officiating, lack of sponsorship and poor player welfare.

Analysts are of the view that without addressing these problems, the league will continue to wallow in mediocrity.

So, how then can these problems be addressed in order to get the league a state of self sufficiency for both the league and the clubs? 

Here are some of the ways that the league could be improved over time.

Sponsorship Drive

Organizing a football league is capital intensive and lack of funds will stifle the growth of any football league.

For many years, the Nigeria National League has not managed to get sponsors for the league. Meaning that the clubs do not get subventions or any form of financial support for the league.

Globally, football clubs get remittances from the operators of their respective leagues. 

For instance, clubs who compete in the English Premier League get a certain amount of money for being a part of the league.

Securing sponsorship is vital to the growth and the overall productivity of the league.

A prime example of how adequate funding  can help a football team is shown by the progress of Remo Stars who previously competed in the NNL but are now mixing it up with the big boys in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

The financial windfall from the club sponsors, Bet9ja has seen them gone from playing in the second tier to competing on the continent.

Of course, Bet9ja is popular with Punters in Nigeria because of various attractive offers which include a nice Bet9ja bonus for new customers.

This means that more players are patronizing their service and that can only mean there will be more funds to bankroll the team. 

As a matter of urgency, the NNL  need to embark on a massive drive to secure sponsors for the league, while the club could also take a cue from Remi stars.

1. Better Remuneration for Match Officials

Another challenge with the National League is the lack of proper pay for Referees, match commissioners and other match day officials.

With poor or no pay, the officials will hardly give their best and worse still, the officials could become compromised and subsequently influence the outcome of games.

Already, there have been accusations of match fixing and unjust calls by Referees.

Improving the overall welfare of match officials could go a long way in ensuring fair officiating.

1. Improving the quality of pitches

Across the league, the playing surfaces are dilapidated and unfit for hosting high level football matches.

Despite a litany of stadia that dot the landscape of Nigeria, there is hardly a pitch in use in the NNL that could pass a pitch integrity test.

Improving the quality of the pitches will raise the standard of football that is on display across the league.

1. Salary structure for the players

The players are the principal actors and the reason we have a league in the first place.

However, the players more often than not are paid pittances. In some cases even, players are owed months of salaries.

Developing a working salary structure in conjunction with the clubs will stem the tide of unpaid salaries in the league.

1. Improved Security 

Another area where the NNL needs to improve is in the area of security.

Getting the fans into the stadium will be an Herculean task with insecurity rife around match venues.

Once the security arrangements on match days are solid, naturally, fans will go to the stadia in droves to support their favourite teams