Nduka Irabor's Vision For Nigeria Professional Football League

Nduka Irabor, Chairman League Management Company

 The Chairman of League Management company, Nduka Irabor, speaks of his vision for the rebranded Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL): "We're evolving a league that will be vibrant and enhance improved earning to clubs and players, not to club owners, managers, referees or administrators. I'm certain not all the present crop of 20 teams in NPFL will be part and parcel of the vision I have for the premiership." To achieve the vision, Irabor said:

 1. "Clubs that will participate in the envisaged premiership must show financial evidence to sustain and meet financial obligation to its players."

2. "We will ensure that clubs work towards owning their own stadium. After 21 years of professional league, no team can boast of owning a stadium, rather what they can show is mere access to stadium,."

3. "The LMC shares will be available to participating clubs in the new premiership format. The shares will be given to participating premiership clubs when the structure properly evolves."

4. "We intend to start proper youth team structure in respective clubs, not what obtains in some feeder teams where you have players of over 30 years of age.

5. "After the ongoing season, there would now be a more structured league fixtures to accommodate continental engagements for Nigerian clubs, Federaton's cup and other qualification matches; to take care of unnecessary extensions of the league season."

 Irabor said, "We've not started the premiership. We're not looking at the ongoing league season for the changes, not even the next season, but the process is already ongoing. However, a new guideline for a properly structured elite league will soon be unfolded, which will insist on the would be clubs to meet some basic minimum requirements before being approved for participation."