Factors Militating Against The Nigerian Football League

Every Nigerian street is littered with billboards of all sizes showing European leagues match fixtures. Many entrepreneurs have seized this opportunity to make brisk profits by venturing into the business of showing these matches to people who cannot afford to provide it in their homes. Youths and adults alike converge in these viewing centres to watch their favorite European clubs owing to the fact that they cannot afford pay television services such as the DSTV and so on. Even if they can afford it in their homes, there will be no public power supply to enable them view these matches in the comfort of their homes. Nevertheless, these viewing centres provide them with ample opportunity to view European football league matches for a stipend. This goes to show the passion Nigerian youths have for football, more especially European leagues. On match days, football lovers converge in viewing centres adorning different jerseys of major European football clubs to cheer their preferred teams to victory. They leave behind their ethnic and political sentiments which had segregated them and discuss on their choice players, and often argue and/or bet on which team would win or lose. This is the passion of the Nigerian youth for the round leather game. The love for European football is uncalled for, and deadening of the local football league. Gone are the days when stadia are packed full with spectators who throng in their numbers to watch the more cherished local teams of the 1970s and 80s: The Bendel Insurance FC of Benin, Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan, the Flying Antelopes FC of Enugu, the Mighty Jets of Jos, just to mention but a few. Those were the good old days when our Nigerian local league was properly managed. Presently, however, our local league is in a near state of coma without its hitherto vibrancy and excitement.

Pundits have criticized the youths for neglecting the local league and glorifying the foreign leagues. But are they to be blamed for this trend? Nigerians are somewhat genetically inclined to having preference for foreign things. They appreciate less of home made goods and service, and appreciate more of imported ones. Hence, rich Nigerians would neglect hospitals herein and seek health services abroad, usually in India. Politicians also prefer to stack away looted funds in foreign banks in faraway Switzerland; while many expectant Nigerian mothers would prefer to deliver their babies in the United States of America. So it is obvious that Nigerians, generally, prefer foreign goods and services more than local ones. So blaming the youths for their preference of the well-organized foreign football leagues instead of the less fancied local league, is denigrating to say the least.

The question one would ask is: why are Nigerians not interested in the local leagues? Why do we fancy the foreign leagues more than the local ones? 

The answer is not far-fetched. It is obvious that Nigerians in general, like I have mentioned above, have a pathological craving for foreign goods and services than the local ones. But in this instance, Nigerians preference for European leagues instead of the local league transcends the craze for foreign things. The main reason for their preferring the European leagues is due to the poor administration and organisation of the local leagues. The local league is poorly managed and inadequately organized unlike the ones in Europe. There is a dearth of seasoned football managers and professionals in the boardroom of the local league. Adept football administrators are not given the opportunity to bring their skills to fore in the management of the league. The league is still under the shackles of politics and cabals. This has, however, been a clog in the wheels of the league. The league is not properly managed and often times, square pegs are fixed in round holes. The league is bogged down by corruption, lack of infrastructure, poor officiating, lack of sponsorship and the win-win attitude of Nigerians where a team is expected to win by all means at home and loss away games.

Poor management of the local league can be said to be the major problem militating against its boom. The Nigerian league has been heavily politicized that most people who know their onions in sports administration are not given the opportunity to contribute their ideas to the betterment of the league. The local league is left to the caprices of politicians who have no inkling of what football management is all about. The result is poorly managed league which is evident in the discrepancies and anomalies there in. Again, because of the political undertone inherent in appointing football administrators in Nigeria, government has on several occasions interfered with the running of football in Nigeria. Elsewhere where leagues are properly managed, governments don’t interfere in the administration of football, except in the area of provision of facilities. Therefore, if we want the Nigerian football league to be better for it, the right pegs must be placed in the right hole. Seasoned football administrators must be allowed to manage the league.

The stadia are poorly maintained. They are inundated with undulating pitches, deplorable viewing stands and stinking dressing rooms. A visit to a typical Nigerian stadium will leave one bitter. Nigerians are known for their poor maintenance culture; therefore, in Nigeria one can see a stadium which was built with a fortune overgrown by grass.  The Abuja National Stadium is an example. It was built to host the 8^th All African Games which took place in October 2003. Only ten years after, the stadium which cost $360 million to construct, is now in a sorry state due to lack of maintenance. The stadia that host Nigeria league matches are nothing to write home about. This is coupled with the fact that security of lives and property is not guaranteed in these stadia. It is often heard that many local league matches end up in affray. Most times, the referees, the players and the match officials end up been battered at match venues if they fail to compromise. At other times, fans of the opposing teams engage themselves in violent attacks which may lead to injury, lost of lives and property. All these are discouraging and put off football loving Nigerians from patronizing the local league games.

The officiating is below par. The major problem ensnaring the league is poor officiating. Often times, Referees show cards indiscriminately and award spot-kicks to home teams at the slightest push. It is a very common phenomenon in the league and it leaves one wondering the quality of Nigerian Referees. This accounts for why Nigerian Referees are not featured to officiate in regional and international competitions. Most Referees are not trained and lack the knowledge of modern refereeing. Others are not professionals enough as they tend to be biased, allowing their personal idiosyncrasies to affect their sense of judgments. Sometimes, watching a local match can be heart-breaking as the referee may, in public glare, make decisions which obviously tend to favour one team against the other. Most times, Referees are badgered into making decisions that tilt towards supporting the home teams or risk been mobbed, maimed or even killed. This arises because the home fans lack sportsmanship. 

Due to the plethora of problems bothering the beleaguered local league, sponsors are not allured to invest in it. The drought of sponsorship has left it dependent on funds from the government. Hence, it is common sight to see a team travelling in a decrepit bus for an away match or players wearing torn and worn out jerseys. The worst of all is that most local league players are not well catered for. Many of them are not paid sign on fees, match bonuses and other entitlements due to them. Where they are paid, however, it is so meagre compared to their counterparts abroad. This is why many local football players would not hesitate to jump ship if opportunity presents itself for them to play outside the shores of Nigeria. Many Nigerian players are sojourning in countries such as Sudan, Benin Republic and other smaller countries due to the fact that they are better off there. An investor can only invest his or her fund in lucrative ventures. No investor would want to invest in ventures that would not turn out profits. Sponsors are not investing in our local league because it is not a profitable venture. A local league match is characterized by empty seats in the stadium except for the players and their coaches, match officials, and a handful of die-hard fans that are ready to cause mayhem if their team won’t win the match. With such scenario, it is impossible for sponsors to recoup their investments in the league. In the past, heavyweights in the telecommunication sector have ventured into sponsoring the local leagues, but they would seize after a few weeks into the season due to lack of patronage by spectators. Therefore, if the local league must regain its lost glory, it must be revamped to attract sponsorship from the corporate world.

Local league games are not televised. This has made the league unpopular among the populace. Television rights for matches are not sought and given, unlike the European counterparts whose television rights for matches are competed for and thereby make huge profits from them. Due to the poor nature of the local league, no media station is interested in seeking for television rights of local league matches.

If we must resurrect the local league to function efficiently like their European counterparts, a total overhaul must be carried out. Firstly, the present management of the league must be axed. Thereafter, competent football administrators who have been tested and proven to deliver on their mandates should be appointed to steer the league system. After putting the right managers in place, stadia should be renovated, standard facilities provided and maintained to ensure longevity. Again, players’ entitlements should be paid as at when due. Their match bonuses, sign-on fees and other privileges should be paid in full to enable them put in their best. This would go a long way in making our home based players stay in the league, and also attract foreign players to it. The crux of the matter is that when the local league begins to function well, spectators will be attracted to it and we will be better for it.