Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has declared that there will be no compromise on club licensing, insisting that Nigerian football must embrace sweeping reforms to stop the steady exodus of players to leagues across Africa and beyond.
NSC Club Licensing Reform Takes Centre Stage
Olopade maintained that clubs unwilling or unable to meet the required licensing standards should step aside, stressing that quality must take priority over quantity in the domestic league.
“We need to reform our football, whether you like it or not,” Olopade said.
“If you are not able to meet up to the guidelines, even if it’s only five clubs, we play a league of five clubs. Enough of paying our players peanuts. If we cannot pay our players two million naira, quit the scene.”
The NSC boss argued that poor remuneration continues to force talented Nigerian footballers to seek opportunities in smaller leagues abroad, weakening the country’s domestic competition.
“We cannot enslave our players for that long. Our children are going to Benin Republic, to Vietnam to play for $800,” he added.
Olopade also noted that FIFA later released a statement aligned with the commission’s position, suggesting the global football governing body shares concerns about improving football governance and standards.
Nigerian Football Reform Must Drive Commercial Growth
Beyond enforcing club licensing, Olopade called for a complete transformation of Nigerian football into a commercially sustainable industry capable of creating wealth for everyone within the ecosystem.
According to him, the league must become more attractive to broadcasters, sponsors and investors through better organisation and higher professional standards.
“So we need the media to support us on this and ensure that the league is run properly. It has to be on TV, it has to be commercialized,” he said.
Olopade stressed that the benefits of football reform should extend beyond players, with journalists, clubs and other stakeholders also sharing in the economic opportunities generated by a stronger league.
“We must create wealth for not just the players, for the journalists who travel far and wide to cover it. Why are they not making money?” he questioned.
Linking the reforms to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic agenda, Olopade said sports should become a major driver of wealth creation in Nigeria.
“This is exactly what President Bola Ahmed is talking about. There must be wealth creation for everybody. Everybody must benefit from the ecosystem that is driven by the economics of sports.”
He concluded by urging the media to support the ongoing reforms, insisting that meaningful change in Nigerian football must begin with stricter club licensing and broader reforms within the football administration.
“If you reform the league, reform the NFF.”