Why The NPFL Can’t Keep Its Stars — Alarming Realities Rock The League

Why Nigeria’s Best Talents Keep Dumping NPFL for Obscure Foreign Leagues

In 2018, Argentine striker Lautaro Martínez made a high-profile move from Racing Club to Inter Milan after being named the most valuable player in Argentina’s top division. His career has since flourished at the European elite level. In stark contrast, Nigeria’s own league top scorers from the same period have struggled to find similar success, with many ending up in less competitive leagues across the globe.

According to iReporter Online, while Martínez has become a mainstay in Serie A and among Europe’s top forwards, Nigerian strikers like Junior Lokosa and Anthony Okpotu—who topped the NPFL scoring charts in 2018 and 2017 respectively—embarked on much less illustrious journeys. Lokosa’s brief stint at Esperance of Tunisia was followed by moves to Tanzania and back to Nigeria, where he eventually joined second-division club Sporting Lagos, Okpotu found himself playing in leagues in Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia without ever making the leap to Europe.

This pattern has persisted. Chijioke Mbaoma, who was NPFL’s top scorer in the 2023/24 season with 17 goals, opted for a move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad instead of staying to build his profile domestically or seek opportunities in Europe. Similarly, 2022/23 top scorer Chukwuemeka Obioma joined a little-known UAE club and now plays in Libya.

Previous NPFL golden boot winners like Chijioke Akuneto, Charles Atshimene, and Israel Abia also left for leagues in Ethiopia, Vietnam, and the Saudi second tier, respectively.

These choices underscore the chronic structural and financial issues within the NPFL.

According to iReporter Online, the league fails to provide adequate compensation, insurance, or professional standards that would motivate top talents to remain. Unlike South American leagues, which offer competitive wages and professional security, the NPFL leaves players exposed—many even play without signed contracts, relying on verbal agreements.

A current Akwa United player, speaking anonymously, admitted that many players live in precarity. “A lot of us don’t have proper contracts. We’re playing just to survive. If a player sees an offer from even Niger Republic, he’ll take it,” he revealed. Players are often desperate, not just for better pay, but for any form of job stability. As he put it, “If you can’t pay your bills, you move on. That’s what’s happening here.”

Even though the Gbenga Elegbeleye-led NPFL board is making efforts to professionalize the league, the absence of corporate sponsorship has crippled growth. Clubs remain dependent on state governments or private owners, and this funding gap forces players to pursue uncertain careers abroad. Player agents, capitalizing on this desperation, often direct clients to obscure leagues for personal gain, while the players receive paltry returns.

According to iReporter Online, the difference in treatment is staggering. In a reported conversation between sports journalist Oma Akatugba and a former NPFL player now in Afghanistan, the player revealed he once earned ₦300,000 monthly at Gombe United. In Afghanistan, however, he earns €2,000 monthly, stays in a paid hotel, enjoys full board, and saved over €20,000 by season’s end.

Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye echoed these concerns, lamenting the poor preparation and infrastructure in Nigerian clubs. “Feeding, travel, hotels—everything is bad,” he told 54FootballX. Ideye urged for systemic change, stating that Nigerian teams are not ready for continental competition and are embarrassing the nation on the international stage.

To reverse this trend, experts have recommended improving refereeing standards, increasing club visibility, boosting infrastructure, and most importantly, attracting sponsors. Only then can Nigeria retain its top talents and ensure the NPFL becomes a league players are proud to stay in—not desperate to flee.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”