NPFL: Club Owners welcome N100m prize money; Want takeoff grants

Club Owners have welcomed assurances from the Board chairman, Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Honorable Gbenga Elegbeleye, that the winner of the 2023/2024 League will go home with at least N100million prize money.

The assurance was given by Hon. Elegbeleye at the NPFL Annual General Meeting in Abuja on Wednesday August 30. He, however, expressed doubt concerning the possibility of giving the clubs that will be participating in the league takeoff grants.

The Club Owners, who commended the NPFL for the guarantee of not less than N100million prize money are, however, not comfortable with the possibility that there may not be takeoff grants for the 20 clubs that will be participating in the league, urging that take off grants be made available to help them to prosecute some of their games when the season starts.

Chief Okey Kpalukwu, Chairman, Football Club Owners Association of Nigeria, reacting to the assurances of the NPFL Chairman concerning the prize money and the possibility that there may not be takeoff grants, said that while the club owners appreciate the fact that for the second season running, there will be prize money to look forward to at the end of the season, they would want the NPFL to look into the possibility of releasing take off grants like it did last season.

“We want to commend the NPFL board for informing the clubs that the winner of the league this season will get a minimum of N100m, and that this could be more depending on how much they’re able to attract through sponsorship. The clubs are, however, looking forward to the possibility of take off grants like they enjoyed last season which was N10m (Ten Million Naira). This will go a long way in helping the clubs prosecute few games when the season starts before turning to their sponsors”, the Rivers United General Manager stressed.

Elegbeleye had promised that the N100m is the baseline prize money to the league winner but that more money could be given depending on how much sponsorship they’re able to attract before and during the season.

“Let me state clearly that the NPFL board is very happy with the cordial relationship that exists between us and the club Owners. Our meetings have been very peaceful and disagreements are handled maturely. This is how it should be because we’re all working towards having a league that Nigerians will be proud of,” Elegbeleye, the former Sunshine Stars of Akure chairman, had noted.

He added that the NPFL board is working towards ensuring that the clubs get more financial incentives, stressing that there’s no going back on the winners of the league going home with a minimum of N100m.

“Let me assure you that the baseline prize money for the winner of the 2023/24 season will be N100m, it could be more but we can’t go lower. Also, we’re working on incentives for the teams during the season”,  Elegbeleye, who is also the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) 2nd Vice President, had stated.

It will be recalled that last season’s champions of the league, Enyimba Football club of Aba got N100m.

Meanwhile, the 2023/24 NPFL season will kickoff on Saturday September 9, 2023 across Nigeria. All games will be played on Saturday because of the Super Eagles Africa Nations Cup qualifier against São Tomé and Principe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state slated for Sunday September 10.