Sports Minister Sets up Urgent Meeting with Club Owners, Referees Before Commencement of NPFL

Oru Leonard 

As matters continue to arise from the snub of Nigerian match officials for AFCON 2023 duties, the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh has called for an urgent engagement with the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) club owners and referees.

The minister requested to personally meet with these group of stakeholders before the commencement of the new elite league season, so as to communicate officially with them.

Senator Enoh said that “we must strive to get it right this time, because we cannot afford to keep going in circles. I am glad that there is a 30% increment on the indemnities of referees. Other things must be put in place to create an enabling environment for officiating to be at a level we want.”

“Referees are an important part of football and their performance can have an impact on results, general ranking of our league and the kind of image we have, so we have to get it right,” the minister pointed.

In a meeting with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), the Nigerian Referees Association and the board of the NPFL, Enoh expressed his disappointment with the development from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and called for urgent measures to address the issue.

He stated that going into the new season, there is need to engage with referees and club owners, so as to ensure that all parties are all in a position to know what is expected of them and how to go about the discharge of their responsibilities, for the good of the game and the international image of nation.