The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has charged critical stakeholders in football to work towards meeting international best practices in the sports sector.
This charge was made during the NPFL 2025/2026 pre-season seminar organised for media Officers, Supporters Club chairmen and CSOs across the country in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The Chief Operating Officer, NPFL, Davidson Owumi who gave the charge, said the media, Supporters club, and CSOs have a lot to do in the sports sector especially Football to meet international best practices that will enhance efficiency of the League.
He expressed hope that the training would bring about positive change, enabling participants to benefit and contribute to a successful season.
The Head of Training also appreciated the Nasarawa State government for its support, stating that, “It has been a wonderful collaboration with the Nasarawa State government to ensure the success of this training, and we want to appreciate Governor Abdullahi Suleman for his support.”
He announced that 2025/2026 NPFL season will kick off next week and called on stakeholders to work together to ensure the success of the season.
Speaking in an interview with Voice Sports, Eche Amos, Media Director of Nasarawa United Football Club and President of the NPFL Media Directors Forum, emphasised the crucial role of the media in shaping the league.
“The media plays a vital role in shaping the league in Nigeria. No matter how good a team is, if nobody publicises it, people won’t know about the team,” he stated.
Amos stressed the importance of media professionalism, saying, “Media is not supposed to take sides or be emotional in carrying out their professional duties. They are supposed to be factual, unbiased, and fair and balanced in their reportage.”
Also Speaking, Ayodeji lsmail,Media Officer of Kwara United, underscored the importance of professionalism in sports promotion, stating that adequate projections and promotion are crucial for the growth of sports.
Ismail also highlighted the need to promote the league body and its administrators, as well as ensure checks and balances with stakeholders, fans, and supporters.
On his part, Emmanuel Adindu, Chief Security Officer of Abia Warriors, appreciated the organisers and highlighted the importance of collaboration in ensuring security during matches.
He said that the last season did not record much incidents of security breaches across the stadium in Nigeria, assuring that CSOs will work together with supporters’ clubs and media to ensure a safe and secure environment during matches.
Also, Steve Ukwaeni, President General of the Supporters Club of Enyimba International Football Club, emphasised the role of supporters in maintaining order and discipline during matches.
“Supporters’ clubs across the country are one of the stakeholders of NPFL. The role we are playing is to ensure that there are no hooligans in the stadium is huge,” he said.
The seminar was organised by the NPFL board in collaboration with Nasarawa State government and the State Football Association to promote a successful 2025/2026 NPFL.
