Some club chairmen in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) are seeking clarification over the distribution of sponsorship proceeds after each participating club received ₦15 million from the league’s commercial partnership with EuroMatch.
The chairmen reportedly believe the payment falls short of their expectations under a revenue-sharing arrangement that allocates 60 per cent of sponsorship proceeds to clubs, while the remaining 40 per cent covers logistics and other expenses.
An unnamed club chairman said each club should receive at least ₦150 million for the season based on his understanding of the arrangement. He added that club owners want the league management to explain how the ₦15 million payment was calculated.
The concerns were expected to feature at a consultative meeting between the NPFL management and the NPFL Club Owners Forum in Abuja.
In a letter dated October 28, the league management scheduled the meeting for 7 p.m. at Top Rank Galaxy Hotel, Jabi Utako, Abuja. Club owners were also informed that they would bear their individual logistics expenses.
The dispute follows an earlier meeting involving the NPFL management, GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited, the league’s strategic partner, where sponsorship receipts and payments were discussed.
According to a report of that meeting, GTI representative Nelson Ineh disclosed that the company had received approximately $1 million from EuroMatch in connection with the sponsorship agreement. Participants subsequently agreed that each of the 20 clubs would receive ₦15 million from the proceeds available at the time.
The chairman said the clubs expected another payment tranche in November but wanted greater transparency regarding the amounts received, the distribution formula and the timing of future disbursements.
The NPFL announced a three-year title sponsorship agreement with EuroMatch in August, valued at $7.5 million, or $2.5 million per season.
At the unveiling, the league said 60 per cent of the sponsorship proceeds would go directly to the participating clubs, with the arrangement expected to support club finances and improve players’ welfare.
However, the ₦150 million figure cited by the unnamed chairman has not been independently established as the amount contractually due to each club. The total value of the sponsorship agreement also differs from the amount received and available for distribution at any given time.
The club owners are seeking clearer explanations of the funds received, how payments are calculated and when further disbursements will be made, as calls for greater financial transparency continue within the league.
