Fresh calls for equal treatment of indigenous coaches have emerged after Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials confirmed Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle had agreed a lucrative new contract worth $100,000 per month.
National Sports Commission chairman Shehu Dikko recently confirmed that new terms had been agreed with the Franco-Malian tactician, including revised performance targets for both Chelle and his coaching staff.
As part of the expanded agreement, Chelle will also oversee Nigeria’s U-23 side, the Dream Team, during preparations for the qualification campaign for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The announcement has, however, reignited debate over the long-standing disparity between the salaries paid to foreign coaches and those earned by Nigerian managers.
Former NFF board member and current Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Barrister Christopher Green, welcomed the idea of rewarding coaches well but insisted that local managers should receive identical treatment whenever they are entrusted with the national team.
“I have always advocated for equality. It does not matter where you are coming from, whether you reside in the country, whether you are a national or an expatriate. It is the same job,” Green said.
“If you are paying Chelle $80,000 or $100,000 per month, the day you are no longer comfortable with him, or the day you fire him, I also want you to pay the same thing to any local coach you want to take over. It is the same job.”
Football stakeholders have urged the NFF to pay Nigerian coaches the same salaries as foreign managers after Eric Chelle agreed a new $100,000-per-month contract.
Green also questioned whether Chelle’s improved contract was justified following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“What has made him deserving of this increment? Are the Super Eagles at the World Cup? No, we are not there. That is the benchmark.
“He has taken charge of a team that did not go to the last World Cup, but he saw the job before he took it. Is he deserving of that? That is the question for everyone to answer.”
Plateau United coach Gbenga Ogunbote echoed those sentiments, arguing that if the NFF believed improved remuneration would boost performance, the same policy should apply to Nigerian coaches.
“The NFF wanted him to perform better; that was why they increased his salary. The same thing should apply to indigenous coaches,” Ogunbote said.
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Former Super Falcons assistant coach Mansur Abdullahi offered a different perspective, backing the salary increase by highlighting the scale of Chelle’s responsibilities.
“He spoke to us at a recent refresher course and addressed us. Nigeria has over 800 players all over the world, and the coaching staff is monitoring close to 300 of them,” Abdullahi explained.
“Anybody who can do this kind of job needs whatever he needs. This man has taken us back to where we were before, so the increase in salary is deserved.”
Despite supporting the improved contract, Abdullahi expressed reservations about Chelle’s expanded workload following his appointment to oversee both the Super Eagles and the Dream Team.
“The job is too much, but he can still supervise the under-23s,” Abdullahi added.
“They should have allowed him to continue with the home-based players and the senior team and let someone else handle the rest.”
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The contrasting reactions is a wider debate surrounding coaching appointments in Nigerian football, with many stakeholders insisting that while competitive salaries are necessary to attract quality managers, equal pay should apply regardless of whether the coach is foreign or home grown.
