How Nigeria Premier League stars play for peanuts

To put an end to this, the League Management Committee under Nduka Irabor recently ordered that clubs in the league should be ready to pay a minimum of N100,000 to their players in line with Article 2.4(1) of the rules and regulations or risk exclusion from the league.The Chairman said the new directive would be […]

To put an end to this, the League Management Committee under Nduka Irabor recently ordered that clubs in the league should be ready to pay a minimum of N100,000 to their players in line with Article 2.4(1) of the rules and regulations or risk exclusion from the league.
The Chairman said the new directive would be strictly enforced as he insisted that even if only five clubs meet the new standard, the 2013/2014 NPL season would commence.
Daily Trust scooped exclusively that most of the clubs had abolished the payment of sign on fees to players yet they still pay them negligible salaries which in most cases are not paid regularly.
It was also gathered that most clubs have retained payment of sign on-fees. Consequently, they hide under it to pay ‘ridiculous’ salaries to their players.
Our reporters learnt that even for the flamboyant Kano Pillars, the highest paid players take home only N90,000  just as some players collect as low as N40,000 in addition to their yearly sign on fees.
A look at what transpired in some of the clubs shows that for last season, the highest paid players in relegated ABS got N100,000 as most got paid N50,000. In Dolphins, the highest earned N100,000 and the lowest N60,000. In El-kanemi Warriors, only one player earned up to N100,000 as the rest got between N70,000 and N40,000.
Furthermore, in Gombe United, only one player earned up to N63,000 as others got between N59,000 to N42,000. In relegated Kwara United, the highest paid received N60,000 with majority of the players receiving N40,000.
In Nasarawa United most of the players earned less than N50, 000 just as the key players were paid a paltry N60,000.
Rangers of Enugu players earned between N150,000 and N100,000. In Sharks players took home between N120 and N60,000 the same with Warri Wolves players. Two time African champions, Enyimba paid between N220 and N50,000.
Relegated Wikki Tourists paid some players N250 while others collected N100,000. Akwa United players were paid between N120,000 and N70,000. In Bayelsa United players earned between N170,000 and N100,000. Another relegated side, Nembe City paid players between N155,000 and N100,000.
In Heartland FC it was between N180 and N50,000 for the players but payment was so erratic that it resulted into several strikes and protests.
Following the directive from the LMC that no player in the league should earn less than N100,000, with or without sign on fee, most of the players are happy as they unanimously commended the decision.
Dami Paul who played for Nasarawa United in the just concluded season lauded the directive from the LMC as he said it is a welcome development.
“I commend the LMC for the decision which I believe is aimed at enhancing the welfare of players in the league.
“Except you play in the league, you won’t understand what players go through every season”, he said.
New Warri Wolves signing, Lordson Ter’ade Ichull also lauded the new directive and called for its enforcement by the authorities.
“No player will hear such news and not be happy about it. It is a welcome development but I just hope the LMC would be able to enforce the order. Most times, much is demanded from the players by the clubs when indeed so little is given to them”, he said.