A startling revelation has emerged that officials of the Nigeria National League (NNL) spend over N130m each season on indemnities in order to keep the second-tier division of the country’s football sector afloat.
This was disclosed by NNL chief executive officer, Emmanuel Attah in an exclusive interview with Sports247, during which he called on corporate bodies to step forward and sponsor the lower division league’s activities.
READ ALSO: Edo Queens Set for “Battle of Ayimba” Against Confluence Queens in NWFL Matchday 6
Attah admitted that meeting up with various aspects of running the second-tier league is quite an expensive task, but affirmed that all officials of the NNL keep working round the clock in order to meet up with expectations.
Attah disclosed at length, “In a season, we spend over 130 something million naira on match indemnities alone. That’s after we increased the indemnities of referees, match assessors and match commissioners in the last season.
It’s not been easy, because our only source of income is from club registrations and support we get from the Nigeria Football Federation.”
Attah went on to stress that top shots of the NNL are not resting on their oars in their quest for additional sources of funding, and equally revealed that they always continue making efforts in order to get sponsors for their operations.
The Super Eagles’ former team coordinator disclosed further, “We are doing our best. We are not sitting idle, and we keep trying to secure sponsorship.
We will not give up, and we hope that, with what is going on in our league, the NNL, people will soon fall over their heads to come and sponsor us.”
He then spoke about factors that account for the appendage of ‘Nigeria’s important league’ in descriptions of the NNL, as the CEO excitedly pointed out that the division holds a midway link between the top-flight Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and third-tier Nationwide League One (NLO).
Attah rationalised, “We say this is the most important league because it comes immediately after the premiership. This is the league that produces teams promoted to the premier league.
This is the league that receives relegated teams from the premier league. This is the team that sends 12 relegated teams to the NLO, the third-tier league, and we receive eight teams from there.
“This is the league where you have the real youths competing… players under 18, 20, 22 years old … real youths. They are the future of Nigerian football.
That’s why we keep calling on organisations and individuals to come and invest in this league because they will never regret it.”
The NNL’s CEO then hyped a high level of credibility, which he said exists among the lower league body’s leadership, staff and match officials, thereby ensuring hitch free encounters every week.
Attah stated with delight, “This is a league where you have transparent persons running the matches. I always challenge people … go and Google the membership of our board in the NNL, and you’ll see the calibre of persons there.
This league is remarkable. We are also proud that, throughout last season, we never received any single protest. This season, there has been just one protest, and it was dealt with effectively. It’s because, unlike in the past, when there were protests and fighting, we have now taken full control.”
He concluded with assurances that all officials of the NNL will continue working hard in order to keep the league’s relevant status afloat and then thanked top shots of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for lending hands of support that keep the lower division relevant in the scheme of things.
“We are trying, we are still working, we are on the road, and we won’t give up. I must thank the president of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau. He has been very supportive … very supportive.
He gave us a free hand, and that is why we have been able to take some very hard decisions without interference from anybody. Some people are not happy, but it’s always in the best interest of the NNL and Nigerian football as a whole,” Attah rounded off emphatically.
 spend over N130m each season on indemnities in order){kind=link}