Sports

EDITORIAL: 2023/24 NPFL, NFF And Its Immense Prospects

Published

3 years ago

November 6, 2023

By Joel Ajayi

Before the League Management Company (LMC) took over management of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL in 2012, the league was the best in Africa and rated higher than the Scottish league.

12 years after that outstanding start, the league lacks a realistic calendar, is unable to retain top talents, and the coaching has devolved into a bygone era with administrators without innovations.

Over the years NPFL has always been in an abridged form that didn’t bring the beauty of the league, but early this year hope beckoned on the league as former Minister of Youth and Sports Sunday Dare took a bold step to declare League Management Company LMC under Mallam Shehu Dikko who did not add any value to the league an illegal body.

He did not leave any stone unturned to ensure people of worthy character took over, and this gave birth to the Interim Management Committee (IMC) under the able leadership of former National Sports Commission Chairman Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye Since then there has been a visible improvement in the league as a result of many innovations on the league.

On June 2023 Hon Elegbeleye was re-appointed as Chairman of the reconstituted board by Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Ibrahim Gusau, following his successful piloting of the now defunct Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) last season.

There are Some of the innovation in the ongoing league includes live streaming of 8 out of 10 matches of the Propel Sports Africa PSA where 100 countries of the world will have the opportunity to watch the Nigeria league.

Just on Thursday, Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Thursday in Abuja signed a five-year broadcast sponsorship rights contract worth N5.3bn with Cable TV giants StarTimes

NPFL Chairman Honorable Gbenga Elegbeleye told the media at the signing ceremony that StarTimes will pay an initial N1.06bn in the first year of the sponsorship package and an annual increment of N50 million for four years from 2023 to 2028.

Elegbeleye added that the signing of the contract is a fulfillment of his promise to Nigerians that Nigeria’s domestic football league will return to television commending the cable TV company for partnering with the NPFL to improve the domestic league.

Also speaking at the signing ceremony, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, said the broadcast deal was aimed at driving the interest of football fans in the country to the NPFL games like the foreign football leagues such as the English Premier League (EPL).

Earlier, the CEO of StarTimes, Joshua Wang, announced that the company won the broadcast rights of the top tier Nigeria Football League for five years effective from 2023.

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Sports

Igoche Mark Announces Burial of Beloved Mother, 82

Published

18 mins ago

November 15, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Renowned basketball promoter and initiator of the Mark D’ Ball Basketball Championship, Mr. Igoche Mark, will on Friday, November 27, 2026, lay his mother, Mrs. Veronica Oyiba Mark, to rest in Otukpo, Benue State.

Mrs. Mark, fondly known as _En’Igoche_, died at the age of 82. She was born in 1944.

According to the burial arrangements released by the family, the funeral rites will begin on Wednesday, November 25, with a service of songs at her residence, No. 4 Enugu Road, Eupi, Otukpo, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

On Thursday, November 26, a commemoration service will hold at St. Francis Catholic Cathedral, Otukpo, between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. This will be followed by an all-night wake-keep at Pa Obodumu Ooche Compound, Asa 2, from 8:00 p.m.

The funeral proper will take place on Friday, November 27. A requiem Mass is scheduled for 12 noon at St. Francis Catholic Cathedral, Otukpo.
Interment will follow immediately at the family Compound.

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