NFF Shake-Up Leaves NPFL Referees in Limbo Over Outstanding Payments

Posted : 04 September 2026

Match officials in the Nigeria Premier Football League are facing fresh uncertainty over outstanding match indemnities following the latest changes in Nigerian football administration. The referees say they are still owed payments from the 2025/26 season, including allowances for NPFL and President Federation Cup matches.

The concerns have resurfaced just as the 2026/27 NPFL season gets underway. The removal of the NPFL board by the interim leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation has left affected officials unsure about which authority will now handle their outstanding financial and welfare issues.

This is not the first time match officials have raised concerns about delayed payments. In January, referees, match commissioners and referee assessors were reportedly owed allowances for about 11 matchdays before some of the outstanding payments were released.

At the time, basic matchday allowances for referees were reported to range between ₦60,000 and ₦90,000. Those figures did not include hotel and transportation allowances, which formed part of the wider financial obligations to match officials.

Ahead of the new season, some referees also raised concerns over an alleged directive requiring officials to pay ₦50,000 for uniforms. The officials questioned the demand, particularly because they claimed payments for some of their previous assignments remained outstanding.

They also complained about the selection and retention of referees. Some experienced officials reportedly questioned why referees who remained within the stipulated age limit and passed fitness tests could be removed from the NPFL because of the length of time they had spent in the league.

Acting President of the Nigeria Referees Association, Kelechi Mejuobi, declined to comment on the latest payment claims. He directed enquiries to the NPFL, saying the league organisers were responsible for the issue.

The uncertainty comes as the NPFL enters a new commercial era. The league has secured a three-year, $7.5 million title sponsorship agreement with EUROMATCH, worth $2.5 million per season, with 60 per cent of the annual revenue earmarked for the 20 participating clubs.

The new sponsorship is expected to improve player wages and welfare, but the situation involving referees highlights broader questions about how football stakeholders are paid and supported. The league’s commercial growth will now be closely watched against the welfare of all the officials who help deliver its matches.

For the referees, the immediate priority remains clarity over the outstanding indemnities. With the new season already underway, they will be looking to the interim NFF leadership and the reorganised league administration for a clear payment plan and resolution of the welfare concerns.

NFF Shake-Up Leaves NPFL Referees in Limbo Over Outstanding Payments

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