NPFL Boss Proposes N1m Minimum Wage to Stem Player Exodus

The Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, has unveiled a bold vision to transform the domestic game by advocating for a mandatory N1 million minimum monthly salary for players. Speaking on Saturday in Abuja, the league chief emphasized that this radical shift in remuneration is a cornerstone of his administration’s broader reforms aimed at fully professionalizing the Nigerian top flight and enhancing its global appeal.

Elegbeleye’s proposal comes at a critical time when the league is battling a persistent “brain drain,” with talented youngsters often departing for obscure, lower-tier leagues in Eastern Europe and North Africa solely for better financial security. By setting a high floor for domestic wages, the NPFL boss believes Nigeria can retain its best legs, thereby improving the overall quality of the product on the pitch and making the league more attractive to broadcasters and corporate sponsors.

The chairman was emphatic that the current welfare standards for many players do not reflect the prestige of the nation’s premier competition. “Better pay will not only improve player welfare but also strengthen the credibility, competitiveness, and marketability of the NPFL,” Elegbeleye told the league’s media team. He argued that when players are financially stable, their focus shifts entirely to their craft, leading to a more intense and entertaining competition that can rival any league on the continent.

Beyond the immediate financial benefits for the athletes, Elegbeleye’s long-term objective is to build a commercially viable ecosystem where clubs operate as profitable businesses rather than government-funded entities. The proposed N1 million minimum wage is intended to act as a catalyst, forcing clubs to improve their internal structures, seek independent sponsorships, and treat their players as high-value assets.

Market analysts have noted that the current average salary in the NPFL remains significantly lower than the proposed figure, with many players earning between N150,000 and N400,000. Elevating this to a seven-figure sum would mark the most significant financial reform in the history of Nigerian club football. While critics have raised concerns about the ability of smaller clubs to sustain such a wage bill, Elegbeleye remains optimistic that a more “credible and marketable” league will generate the revenue necessary to support these changes.

The NPFL has already seen a steady rise in sponsorship interest and television coverage over the past two seasons, and this latest move is seen as an attempt to consolidate those gains. As the 2026 football calendar progresses, the focus will now shift to how the league board intends to enforce this minimum wage and what support mechanisms will be put in place for clubs to meet the new standard.