Nigeria Football Federation president Ibrahim Gusau has promised to work closely with the new Euromatch NPFL partnership to make the league more attractive, generate fresh ideas and bring Nigerian football fans back to the stadiums.
Gusau spoke in Abuja at the unveiling of Euromatch as the new title sponsor of the Nigeria Premier Football League, with the three-year agreement worth $7.5 million, or $2.5 million per season.
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The NFF president said he had believed in the current board from the beginning and maintained that the progress now being recorded in the domestic league was the result of four years of consistency and stabilisation.
“I believed in the board from inception, stabilised them, and we can see the result now after four years,” Gusau said.
The NFF boss said the new partnership must not be allowed to remain a sponsorship agreement on paper, insisting that football authorities, clubs and the sponsor must work together to turn the investment into tangible improvements.
“I want to assure the people involved in this collaboration that we will work together and make it realistic,” he said.
Gusau also called for new ideas capable of changing the matchday experience and restoring the NPFL’s connection with supporters.
He believes the league must become more attractive to fans, particularly by creating fixtures and events that can generate excitement around the competition.
“Let’s initiate new ideas so that the fans can be back to the stadium,” Gusau said.
One of his proposals is the introduction of a weekly “star match”, with former Nigerian internationals also brought into the project to help reconnect supporters with the domestic game.
“Let’s have a star match every week and involve the ex-international players as well as having a way of bringing back fans to our stadia,” he added.
Gusau’s comments come as the NPFL enters a new commercial era following the signing of the Euromatch agreement, which will provide $2.5 million annually for three seasons.
Sixty per cent of the sponsorship proceeds is expected to go directly to the participating clubs, with the aim of improving players’ salaries and welfare.
The NFF president believes the commercial injection can help strengthen the league, but only if the different stakeholders work together and maintain the stability that has attracted the new investment.
Gusau, who was elected NFF president in September 2022 after previously serving as chairman of the Zamfara State Football Association and Chairman of Chairmen within the NFF, has made stability and stronger administration central themes of his leadership.
The former Zamfara administrator also has experience within CAF and FIFA structures, having served on several football committees, including the CAF Youth Organising Committee and FIFA Men’s Club Competitions Committee.
Now, with the Euromatch partnership providing a significant financial platform for the NPFL, Gusau wants the league to use the opportunity to rebuild its relationship with its most important stakeholders — the fans.
His proposed weekly star match could also provide a platform for former Super Eagles players to become more involved in domestic football, helping to bring their personalities and experience closer to the league while creating additional interest around selected fixtures.
With the new sponsorship secured and the 2026/27 season approaching, Gusau believes the NPFL has an opportunity to move beyond simply surviving and begin building a commercially stronger competition.
The message from the NFF president is clear: the money is coming, but the real success will be measured by what Nigerian football does with it — and whether the fans finally have a reason to fill the stadiums again.
