The Latest news in Nigeria and world news. The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper brings you the latest headlines, opinions, political news, business reports and international news.
Recently, a survey by BudgIT reported that 33 state governments cannot finance their recurrent expenditures...Premiere leagues in some jurisdictions globally are money spinners. Players bask in comfort while plying their trade. But in Nigeria, the reverse is the reality, with allegations of state governors using them as “revenue points” for political jobbers. The sheer mockery of club
What this means is that without the Federation Account, most of the states will become insolvent and unable to meet their responsibilities. These submissions imply that most states are barely able to keep their heads above water level, yet they channel their little resources to ventures that are not sustainable, including funding of unprofitable football clubs, which do not yield any return on investment.
But an official of one of the NPFL clubs, who pleaded anonymity since he has no permission to speak on behalf of the club, insists that the average monthly wage paid to a player in the NPFL is N500,000. He added that each club spends between N3.5 million to N4 million in executing each away match. “This is because 25 players are taken for away games now, as against 18, which was the case in the past. So, you have to take into cognisance, expenses for accommodation, feeding of players and officials, and fueling of vehicles. Only a few clubs can afford air travel for their players occasionally, while the majority of them go by land to honour away matches.
This is reflected in the way that they are run; the manner in which contracts are routinely breached, and in the way that players’ remunerations are delayed or forfeited in most cases. For ex-Super Eagles player, Edema Fuludu, most states’ governments are funding clubs to satisfy certain interests. Fuludu, who played for various clubs in the Nigerian league, including Bendel Insurance, BCC Lions of Gboko, and Julius Berger of Lagos before taking his career to Turkey, regretted that till today, the value of the domestic league cannot be quantified because of the absence of data.
Gara-Gombe continued: “On the other hand, the teams don’t know the net worth or value of each of their players, the value of their team bus, the value of their players’ camp, the value of their stadium if they have one. It is the aggregate of all these that determines the value of a club. These are absent in virtually all the clubs because they are owned by governments.”
“That is why only the government can afford to throw money around without any form of accountability. But going by the astronomical increase in everything, it is difficult for one to say precisely, the market value of a league club in Nigeria. I cannot remember how much we bought Eko United, but I remember that I disagreed with the amount proposed by the previous owner, hence I was compelled to just accept the name and look for players within two months before the league started.
As part of the club licensing regime, clubs are expected to have at least N400 million in their respective accounts before the commencement of each season. However, it is on record that many government-owned clubs still owe their players because of inadequate funding. An NFF official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, told The Guardian that it has been difficult to implement the club licensing regime because state governors don’t want to hand off their clubs.
In a country where most professional football clubs are run as public service arms of the government, Remo Stars, owned by sports entrepreneur, businessman, and politician Kunle Soname, stands out as a modern sports management model in Nigeria. Managed by former chairman of MFM Football Club, Godwin Enarkhena, Sporting Lagos has introduced a season-ticket holding programme that gives the fan a sense of ownership of the club.
Said the ex-international: “Rather than delve into abstract theories and using examples from environments and cultures like the USA and the UK that are completely different from Nigeria’s to drive the argument for governments’ divorce from clubs, I want to use my experiences in one of the most popular football clubs in the country, a club that should ordinarily attract unprecedented followership and business to wade through the labyrinthine perspectives that stand as obstacles for a different...
He noted that even Abiola Babes FC, which was owned and funded by the richest man in Africa in his time, “had to be disbanded after serving its other political objective of promoting the man in African football. The same thing happened to Leventis United FC, and even Stationary Stores Football Club. They were financially asphyxiated.”
“I once sat with a governor of a state and listened to him lament the huge expenditure that his government was “wasting” on a football club that he did not identify with, had no sympathy for, would never be attracted to its matches for fear of being harassed by fanatical fans of the club should the team lose a match. He only saw the club as a financial burden and a drainpipe for his government.
“So, these powerful clubs will continue to survive and will be funded by state governments, attitudes must change with fresh understanding about the relationship that must exist to help the clubs to eventually become profitable businesses…In a new dispensation, states and the citizens would willingly embrace the idea of funding their clubs until the power of followership and patronage of the clubs’ programmes and activities become entrenched and large enough to attract external marketing...
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Abuja municipal chair begins road construction, assures residents of more democracy dividendsPremium Times - Nigeria'bs leading online newspaper, delivering breaking news and deep investigative reports from Nigeria
Read more »
NAFDAC issues warning alert on highly caffeinated energy drinks sold onlinePremium Times - Nigeria'bs leading online newspaper, delivering breaking news and deep investigative reports from Nigeria
Read more »
Insurgency Recovery: Borno, Adamawa, Yobe revive primary healthcare centresPremium Times - Nigeria'bs leading online newspaper, delivering breaking news and deep investigative reports from Nigeria
Read more »
Royalties: Mohbad not our member, says PMANThe Latest news in Nigeria and world news. The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper brings you the latest headlines, opinions, political news, business reports and international news.
Read more »
Time to address S’East demands, Ohanaeze tells TinubuThe Latest news in Nigeria and world news. The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper brings you the latest headlines, opinions, political news, business reports and international news.
Read more »
Asaba to plant 76 trees for Babangida’s late wifeThe Latest news in Nigeria and world news. The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper brings you the latest headlines, opinions, political news, business reports and international news.
Read more »