By Salifu Usman, Abuja
The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick, has reiterated the commitment of the football body to improve the organisation of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) and the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO).
He made the declaration yesterday while presiding over a meeting to chart a more robust course for sustainability and improvement of the organisation of the various domestic football leagues.
The meeting, which had in attendance the chairman of League Management Company (LMC), Shehu Dikko; CEO of NNL, Senator Obinna Ogba; president, Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), Otunba Tade Azeez; NFF general secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi and other chieftains in Nigeria’s football deliberated on niggling issues around the League particularly welfare of officials and resolved to tackle matters head-on in the interest of the domestic game.
Pinnick, in a statement issued by the NFF director of communication, Ademola Olajire, expressed delight with the broadcast and quality of production of NPFL matches on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and the NPFL.TVsince the commencement of the new season, saying the federation was determined that no factor would be allowed to derail the present gains as the NPFL season enters Week 10, and the NNL and NWFL matches also trudge on.
“We are all impressed with the matches being on television and the special app (NPFL.TV) and have enjoyed the quality of production which compares to the very best anywhere.
However, it is time to look critically at certain niggling factors and ensure we tackle them decisively in order not to erode the gains we have been able to make.
“We must keep at what we are doing, maintain the standard and even strive for improvement where possible, and we can be sure that we will reap the gains in the coming seasons,” Pinnick said.
NFF boss added the federation will do everything within its capacity to ensure that standard of officiating continues to improve, while safety, security and medical issues are given the utmost attention and seriousness.
There was a consensus at the meeting that sustainability of good officiating and broadcast of the matches will solve most of the problems associated with the domestic game in previous years.
Pinnick also issued a stern warning to officials of the various leagues to shun acts capable of putting the domestic game in bad light.
