Clubs in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) have been taken to task of the need for them to start generating funds through the sale of replica jerseys and begin making profit from marketing their merchandise.
Read Also: Remo Stars Celebrate Supporters Club Chairman Hon. Awomuti In Special Way, As He Marks His Birthday
This charge was provided by the chairman/CEO of ProStar Limited, Paul Maduakor, who is of a strong view that internally generated funds can sustain any club in the NPFL for a whole season and beyond.
He hinted that, instead of depending on government funding and other traditional ways of generating money, Nigerian clubs must become creative and exploit their internal values to the fullest.
Maduakor expatiated, “Jersey sales and merchandising of other items are enough to sponsor a club in the NPFL for a whole season, and still come out with a profit.
“There is no club in the NPFL that will tell me they don’t have a minimum of 2,000 fans who would not be able to do a spending of N50,000 minimum each on the club’s jerseys, merchandise and other things per season.
“So, do the calculation, and you will know that if just 2,000 fans of a club could easily dole out N50,000 each on the club’s jersey and merchandise, a billion naira is already produced for the club.
“So, tell me, which club in the NPFL will have one billion naira for a season and will not pay their players well? Or that will not have enough money to get their team to travel by air and provide every other necessity.
“So, it is time for our clubs to look inwards and stop depending on traditional means of generating money.
“Jerseys alone and other aspects of merchandising are there to generate all required funds. Our attention needs to be drawn to it.”
Maduakor , who is also the president of Nigeria Amputee Football Federation (NAFF), stressed that the approach he has suggested for NPFL clubs is what those in Europe are exploiting to the fullest and making the best of it.
 have been taken to task of the need for them to start generating funds){kind=link}