Remodelling Nigeria Football for Economic Growth and Global Impact - My Vision

Over the years we have seen this trend. any player who emerges the highest goal scorer in Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) were  immediately moved to play abroad the next season. For instance, Enugu Rangers' Chisom Egbuchulam, the MVP and Golden ball winner in 2016, was moved to BK Hacken Sweden the next season. In 2017, MFM Stephen Odey emerged the highest goal scorer and was moved to FC Zurich in Switzerland. And in 2018, Kano Pillars Junior Lokosa was moved to Esperance of Tunisia.

Any player that shows a glimpse of outstanding play in NPFL, NNL or NNWL is quickly moved to play abroad. It's like a free trade, an average footballer in Nigeria wish to go abroad, not minding where, whether Vietnam or Cambodia, "anywhere at all."

The frequent migration of players bereaves Nigerian leagues of "star power" and the clubs are constantly weakened, not strong enough to even compete within the African continent.

You may say, Nigerian leagues are not interesting to watch, so fans attention are drawn away to the Premier League and other top flight european leagues via cable television.

An average Nigerian fan would prefer to go to a viewing center or sports bar than to go to watch football at the stadium. So stadiums are largely empty and the leagues cannot attract substantial sale of ticket, television right and Sponsorship.

The point is, Nigeria football is "unconsciously modeled to serve as feeder to other leagues around the world." This, I think, call for a deliberate and conscious remodelling if we want football to grow to a commercial level and begin to positively impact on the economy of our nation.

Problem Statement 
The challenge is, football is seen as a not for profit youth development ministry of government; so the huge business potentials are not explored.

Government fund football without any expectation of financial return on investment. So then, appointment of FA chairmen and club managers are largely politicized. Persons who are not qualified nor possess cognate experience are appointed to run football at various level. Of course, the consequences are obvious. The leagues are not well organized, bedeviled with corruption and hooliganism.

Government poorly fund football, yet FA and club managers misappropriate the funds, so that players and coaches are underpaid, owed and in some cases, not paid at all. This is one of the reasons for the mass exdous of players seeking greener pastures abroad.

My name is Benson Chukwueke, a Sport Marketing professional. I have always known that one day we may have to sit down, perhaps, on a round table, to critically look at football in Nigeria. 

My vision for Nigeria football, to take it from where it is now to where it ought to be, has driven me into diverse research and today I am more convinced to drive a change...To remodel Nigeria football.