Sports

Ibrahim Gusau Strive In Transforming Nigerian Football From The Domestic League

Published

3 years ago

December 1, 2023

By Michael Obasi

The Phrase “changing the narrative” is a very productive and positive word that simply means to change the way one looks at things or life in general.

This was exactly the message of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation Ibrahim Gusau when he was privileged to declare open the Nigeria Premier Football League Retreat for staff in Abuja.

Gusau’s careful choice of words during the retreat has once again underscore his pragmatic and action packed approach to his own leadership style.

Like what many might have observed, the NFF President is a man of few words but often times those words are laced with vast positive multiplier effects in terms of deliverables.

The NFF boss said it is very cardinal to his board’s vision for Nigerians and followers of the domestic league to change the way they see the country’s league in terms of quality , infrastructure, organisation and officiating.

It is therefore no coincidence that the present NFF board under the leadership of Gusau is ensuring there is a peaceful and cordial working relationships among the various league bodies and the Football House.

“For me everything starts with a united house because if we are in crises as a football family we can’t achieve much” , Gusau stated.

It is therefore no surprise the kind of gradual positive changes we are beginning to witness in the various league bodies, starting with the Premier League.

Now the league is back on Television and for the very first time that I can remember in my years of covering Nigerian football , the League body had a staff retreat.

The retreat is a testimony to how things are begining to change in the league and the NFF President used the opportunity to charge the leadership of the league to have more of such retreat and even extend it to the clubs.

Gusau maintained that such retreat must be taken to the various Premier League clubs where clubs security officials and secretaries will attend as part of ways to curb some of the challenges bedeviling the league during matches.

The NFF boss also highlighted why the issues of bad officiating is gradually reducing because his board is not taking less seriously the punishment of erring referees.

He insisted that this is the reason why any referee involved in bad officiating is getting punished almost immediately without delays.

While these are highly commendable is because watchers of Nigeria Football have been calling for such initiatives so that the league can maintain a positive image.

Gusau has also revealed that efforts have started for Nigeria league to witness the usage of the Video Assistant Referee VAR.

Some Nigerian referees will be going for the VAR training with WAFU early next year while discussions are on with both the Egyptian and Moroccan Football Associations to assist with further training as regards our usage of VAR in the Nigeria Premier league.

While the NFF President is trying to change the narrative in the league , he is also doing same with the Country’s Grassroot Football Development especially with the recently concluded FIFA Talent Development scheme Programme held in Abuja.

The scheme which focuses on discovering talents from the grassroots across the states witnessed the participation of all the states Football Associations.

The NFF boss assured that discovering of the next generation of Nigeria Under 17 players will come from Grassroots tournaments put together by this scheme.

It is therefore very important to join hands to support the NFF in achieving her goal of changing the narrative of the Country’s Football.

Written By Michael Obasi. Sports Affairs Analyst/ Journalist

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Sports

PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon Splashes Big Prize Money Ahead Of 14 November 2026 Race

Published

1 hour ago

October 25, 2026

The Gleamer

Top Three Elite Finishers To Earn $8,000, $6,000 And $5,000 Respectively

The organisers of the highly anticipated PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon have announced an attractive prize package for athletes across every category ahead of the race on 14 November 2026 in Abuja.

The prize announcement has been welcomed by athletes and coaches, as the event continues to establish itself as one of the leading road races in Nigeria. The race offers local athletes the chance to compete against international runners in front of a home crowd, while also earning meaningful rewards.

In the elite category, first place earns $8,000, second place takes $6,000, third place gets $5,000, fourth place receives $4,000, fifth place goes home with $3,000, sixth place earns $2,000, seventh place takes $1,000, and eighth place gets $500.

In the Nigerian category, first place earns ₦2,000,000, second place takes ₦1,500,000, third place gets ₦1,000,000, fourth place receives ₦500,000, fifth place goes home with ₦300,000, sixth place earns ₦200,000, seventh place takes ₦100,000, and eighth place gets ₦50,000.

According to the organisers, the prize structure reflects the commitment of PremiumTrust Bank to the growth of athletics in Nigeria and to the encouragement of home based athletes. The separate Nigerian category ensures that local runners are properly recognised and rewarded for their performance.

The half marathon, which covers 21 kilometres, remains an important event for long distance runners. It serves as a test of endurance and preparation, and it provides a competitive platform for athletes building towards major national and international competitions.

The race is expected to draw elite athletes, club runners, corporate teams, fitness enthusiasts and supporters from across Nigeria and beyond. The turnout is expected to be high, given the interest already shown since registration opened.

Organisers have advised interested runners to register early through the official registration portal of the race to secure their participation, as arrangements are being put in place for timing, security, medical support and traffic management on race day.

The prize money is now confirmed, attention will shift to the athletes as they complete their final weeks of training and preparations ahead of the race day.

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