Former Chairman of Gombe United Football Club, Ahmed Gara-Gombe, has warned that increasing the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) prize money, including the proposed ₦2 billion reward for the league champions, will do little to transform Nigerian football unless longstanding structural deficiencies are addressed.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Gara-Gombe described the proposed prize as a welcome incentive but argued that financial rewards alone cannot substitute for sound governance, quality infrastructure and a commercially viable football ecosystem.
“You can offer ₦10 billion to the league champions, but if the fundamentals are not in place, the league will continue to struggle,” he said.
According to him, the success of any professional football league rests on eight critical pillars: good governance, a strong capital base, commercial viability, modern infrastructure, competent administration, player welfare, fan engagement and professional refereeing.
Infrastructure Still a Major Challenge
Gara-Gombe lamented the poor state of football infrastructure across the country, noting that only a handful of stadiums are capable of hosting top-level continental matches.
He singled out the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo as Nigeria’s most dependable venue for major international and continental fixtures, recalling that several Nigerian clubs have repeatedly been forced to move their home matches to alternative venues after failing to meet Confederation of African Football (CAF) stadium requirements.
According to him, no domestic league can attain international competitiveness without sustained investment in sporting infrastructure.
Poor Officiating Undermining League Credibility
The former football administrator also identified poor refereeing as one of the biggest threats to the credibility of the NPFL, arguing that questionable officiating continues to erode public confidence in the league.
“Today, we produce poor champions because they are products of poor officiating,” he said.
He called for comprehensive reforms in referee recruitment, training, monitoring and accountability, while advocating legislation that would criminalise match-fixing.
According to Gara-Gombe, football manipulation should attract legal consequences in addition to sporting sanctions if the integrity of the league is to be protected.
Backs Gusau, Calls for Long-Term Reforms
On the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Gara-Gombe defended his support for NFF President Ibrahim Gusau’s reported second-term bid, saying continuity would provide a fair basis for assessing the administration’s policies and achievements.
He argued that many of the challenges confronting Nigerian football predate the current NFF leadership and therefore require sustained institutional reforms rather than frequent changes in administration.
“Gusau should be judged by his own decisions, policies and achievements if given another term,” he said.
End Government Dependence
Gara-Gombe also renewed calls for Nigerian football clubs to become financially independent, urging state governments to gradually reduce direct funding while providing grants that encourage sustainable growth.
He said clubs should build viable business models anchored on sponsorships, broadcasting rights, merchandising, branding and stronger supporter engagement.
The former Gombe United chairman criticised the appointment of politicians and political loyalists to manage football clubs, insisting that club administration should be left to qualified professionals.
“Football administration is a profession and should be treated as such,” he said, advocating competency requirements for club executives under the club licensing framework.
League Must Build Commercial Value
Questioning the rationale behind setting a multi-billion-naira prize without first determining the commercial worth of the league, Gara-Gombe argued that financial sustainability begins with understanding the true market value of the competition.
“You must first know what your league is worth before placing a price tag on it,” he said.
He explained that such valuation should be based on clubs’ revenue-generating capacity, including sponsorship, merchandising, branding and fan engagement.
Gara-Gombe also expressed concern over inadequate medical facilities at several NPFL venues, revealing that some clubs still depend on ambulances borrowed from hospitals, health centres or the Nigerian Red Cross on match days.
He described the practice as another indication that the league still falls short of professional standards.
Drawing a comparison with North African football, Gara-Gombe cited Tunisian giants Espérance Sportive de Tunis as an example of a club that has built enduring commercial structures capable of thriving beyond government funding.
“Commercial value is not created overnight but built through proper planning, branding and professional management,” he said, stressing that sustainable reforms—not headline prize money—remain the key to unlocking the full potential of Nigerian football.
