Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye has assured that all the 20 clubs in the Nigerian flagship league get financial benefit for their participation in in the league.
He made the clarification following an earlier press release by NPFL Club Owners Association that the winner will get a minimum of N100 million and that there will be no take-off grant to the clubs.
Elegbeleye told Sports Village Square that although the take-off grant has not been paid to the clubs, payment shall certainly be made in the course of the league.
“This shall be before the league gets to the halfway mark,” the league boss remarked.
In the last season, each of the 20 clubs got N2 million take off grant when the league, played in abridge format commenced.
Teams will play the usual marathon this time around. The NPFL boss who is also the 2nd Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation Board explained that the money for the take off grant is not available at the moment, but efforts are being made to get sufficient fund for the 20 clubs.
He also revealed that contrary to belief, it is not only the league champions that will be paid. “The money will trickle down as the interest of all the 20 clubs will be protected”, the league boss remarked.
Elegbeleye revealed that the emoluments of the match officials – referees and match commissioners – have been increased by 30% owing to the prevailing economic situation in the country.
Propel Sports Africa has done very well in getting a telecommunication firm to cough out money for the prize money to the champions and that the champions shall get more than the N100 million paid in the last season.
“The league must not just grow, it must be seen to be growing, hence we have to improve on what we paid last season”, Elegbeleye remarked.
He pointed out that more windows of revenue are been constructed that will see all the clubs getting rewarded for their participation in the league.
“There will be more viewers of the Nigerian league through telephone subscription worldwide and that will raise enough revenue to grow the league, make it more transparent and also expand its scope,” said Elegbeleye.
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