The National Sports Commission’s decision to introduce a minimum monthly salary of N2m for Nigeria Premier Football League players has continued to attract mixed reactions from stakeholders, with concerns raised over the ability of club owners to meet the new wage structure, Saturday PUNCH reports.
The NSC had, alongside a landmark increase in prize money for the league, announced the new minimum wage as part of sweeping reforms aimed at curbing the exodus of talented players to clubs abroad and strengthening the competitiveness of the domestic league. The previous minimum wage in the league was pegged at N150,000.
While some players and former players have welcomed the development as one capable of improving the standard of play in the league, questions have been raised over whether the NSC or the Nigeria Football Federation would support clubs in meeting the new obligation.
Rivers State Sports Commissioner and former NFF board member, Barrister Christopher Green, who doubles as chairman of Rivers United, said it was unlikely that all clubs in the league could afford to pay every player N2m a month without external support.
“Will the NSC or NFF be supporting the clubs? Because I don’t think all clubs can afford that new N2m minimum they said players in the league will now be getting,” Green said.
