The Nigeria Premier Football League has secured a major commercial boost ahead of the 2026/27 season after unveiling a new three-year title sponsorship agreement worth $7.5m with EUROMATCH, with 60 per cent of the money set to go directly to the clubs.
The agreement, valued at $2.5m per season, was unveiled in Abuja on Wednesday as the league continued its push to improve club finances, player welfare, branding and its overall commercial value.
NPFL Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye said the structure of the deal was designed to ensure that the league’s growing commercial fortunes translate into direct benefits for the clubs and, ultimately, the players.
“Let me announce to you that the deal is about $2.5m every season from EUROMATCH for three seasons. That is $7.5m,” Elegbeleye said.
“That will help in increasing players’ wages. Of course, we don’t give the money to the clubs ourselves, but 60 per cent goes straight to the clubs. That is the agreement. This must be reflected in the welfare of the footballers.”
NPFL clubs will receive 60% of a new $7.5m, three-year title sponsorship deal with EUROMATCH, with targets to improved player welfare, wages and commercial growth.
Elegbeleye also insisted that players must remain at the heart of the league’s growth, arguing that administrators should work behind the scenes while footballers become the faces and attractions of the competition.
“In football and in sport generally, the athletes and the players are the attractions, not the administrators. To be honest, there are players that we want to promote, not those of us who are the administrators.
“The fact is that it is not my business to be in the public eye here. The business is about the players. Nigerians should know them. It is not the business of an administrator to be showing his face everywhere. I can be there, but I should appear in the background.
“Let our players shine. Let the world know them. Let our league be known. Those of us behind the scenes, let our work reflect and let our work show,” he said.
The NPFL chairman believes improved earnings and welfare can help create happier and more productive footballers, making the decision to direct the majority of the sponsorship proceeds to clubs a key part of the new arrangement.
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Former Minister of Sports and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, described the $7.5m agreement as evidence that efforts to reposition sports as a business were beginning to attract investment.
“First, I think the NPFL must be commended for embracing change and reforms. I know the last three plus years have not been easy for them, but they have kept at it,” Dare said.
“Also, especially the clubs, the management and ownership of the clubs, and the key stakeholders have keyed into that change. And this is what happens when you embrace change that is progressive: you attract investment.
“Seeing this come to life, $7.5m over the next three years is massive. But also, it speaks to the effort we made when we classified sports as a business.”
The official 2026-27 NPFL logo
Dare said the sports-as-business policy had been supported by a 10-year football master plan aimed at developing the game, attracting Foreign Direct Investment and improving the branding and commercial appeal of Nigerian football.
He added that continued progress within the domestic league could eventually have a positive effect on Nigeria’s national teams.
“I think that will also impact what we see in our national teams the Super Eagles, the Under-20, Under-17 and others,” Dare said.
Dare also linked the development to increased government funding for sports, saying budgetary allocation had risen from N1.9bn to N76bn, although he stressed that greater funding must be accompanied by reforms capable of meeting international standards.
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau described the partnership as a major boost for Nigerian football, saying it would strengthen the NPFL while creating greater opportunities for clubs and players.
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EUROMATCH GROUP Chairman Sadi Semih, meanwhile, said the company viewed the three-year agreement as a strategic investment in Nigerian football and was committed to working with the league and other stakeholders to deliver sustainable value and improve the competition’s international visibility.
The announcement comes ahead of the 2026/27 NPFL season, with the league also moving to increase financial rewards for clubs. The National Sports Commission has announced that the champions of the new campaign are expected to receive a record ₦1bn prize.
Former Super Eagles stars Daniel Amokachi, Samson Siasia, Austin Eguavoen and Brown Ideye were among the dignitaries present at the unveiling, as the NPFL opened a new chapter in its efforts to build a more financially sustainable and commercially attractive domestic league.
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