The Nigeria Premier Football League has endured years of criticism, scepticism, and outright dismissal. Yet beneath the noise, structural changes are beginning to take shape. But NPFL Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye laid bare the challenges as well as the drive behind the league’s slow but deliberate rebuild, writes TUNDE LIADI.
“What next for the Nigerian league?” is a question that has echoed for years, often framed in doubt and frustration.
For the Nigeria Premier Football League Chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, the answer begins with honesty — and shared responsibility.
“One thing with us in Nigeria,” Elegbeleye observed in a lively conversation with veteran journalist , Mitchel Obi on his Sports Salsa. “Whatever you are doing that is positive, some will not like to see the good side of it.
“They always want to find a way to destroy what is happening in the local scene,” he noted.
Despite amid persistent criticism, the NPFL chairman finds encouragement in shifting public perception.
“I am grateful to God that Nigerians are seeing the good side of what we are doing,” he said. “It is the most important thing.”
Elegbeleye’s vision for the NPFL is rooted in patience and realism. He is under no illusion about the gulf between Nigeria and Europe, but he insists that progress — however gradual — must be protected. “We want to do something that Nigerians will appreciate with the league we are running,” he explained, “not just now, but in the immediate and in the long run.”
For him, building a competitive league is a journey, not an event.
“The league that is capable of competing with the best in the world — you don’t get that overnight,” Elegbeleye stressed. “You just have to gradually find a way to navigate yourself away from the problems associated with the league and make progress.”
One of the most tangible symbols of that progress is the league’s return to television. After years in the shadows, NPFL matches are now broadcast free-to-air, a development Elegbeleye believes changes everything. “We are now fully on television,” he said. “Not just on television, but free to air too.”
While acknowledging the gap between Nigeria and elite European leagues, he remains firm in his resolve. “We can’t reach European standards overnight, but we have moved forward from where we used to be — and there is no going back.”
He also addressed the relationship between the domestic league and the national team, insisting that local football must be visible to national coaches. “A national team coach must be able to attend local matches,” he said. “We cannot force a coach to take any player, but we know we have players in the local league who can compete with their foreign professionals.”
On Super Eagles coach Eric Sekou Chelle, Elegbeleye struck a conciliatory tone. “I may not blame the coach,” he admitted. “He came in when we were preparing for both World Cup qualifiers and AFCON. He met a team on ground and there was no ample time for him to go around to search for local players.”
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Also, officiating remains one of the most sensitive talking points in Nigerian football, but Elegbeleye is keen to strip the debate of emotion and place it in global context.
“Officiating is a global problem,” he stated plainly. “It is not peculiar to Nigeria alone.”
While referees are products of the Nigeria Football Federation, Elegbeleye insists the NPFL is not helpless. “We as league operators have reasons and the ability to tell the referee appointment coordinator that we identify some referees not to be okay,” he revealed — adding that the NFF has been fully cooperative. “They always accept. The NFF is 100 percent with us in this.”
He acknowledges that not all controversial decisions are born of malice. “Some of the complaints about officiating are human errors,” Elegbeleye said, while stressing that standard have improved. “If you see the level of officiating at the AFCON, you will know ours have improved.”
With the return of live broadcasts, scrutiny has intensified — and the chairman welcomes it. “Now that television is back, the referees should know that they must improve,” he warned. “They are now in the eye of the world.”
Structural upgrades are already in place. “Unlike before, referees now have communication gadgets,” Elegbeleye noted, praising the current NFF board. “I must give kudos to them — it was through the board that we got the communication gadgets for the match officials.”
Looking ahead, the NPFL is considering a major technological leap. “Next season, we shall think of moving to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR),” he disclosed, while urging caution. “People must be trained on how to operate the VAR machines.”
Infrastructure is another pressing concern. While stadiums were approved at the start of the season, Elegbeleye confirms that adjustments are coming.
“During the course of the season, there may be adjustments,” he said, including “banishing clubs to pitches that are more football-friendly.” He added pointedly, “We shall do something about stadiums with bad pitches in the next few days.”
Beyond governance and facilities, financial growth remains a quiet but powerful marker of progress.
Elegbeleye highlighted the steady rise in prize money: “When we started, Enyimba got ₦100 million. Rangers got ₦150 million. Last season, Remo Stars received ₦200 million.”
While further increases are hoped for, stability remains the focus. “We hope to increase it again this season,” he said, “but we may still stay at where we currently are.”
