Olopade Canvasses Media Support for Nigerian League Reforms, Commercialisatio

Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Chief Bukola Olawale Olopade, has called on the Nigerian media to play a more active role in the ongoing reforms of the nation’s domestic football league, stressing that a vibrant and commercially driven league remains the foundation for sustainable football development and wealth creation.
Speaking during an engagement with sports journalists, Olopade said the transformation of the Nigerian league cannot be achieved without strong collaboration between football administrators, the media, corporate organisations and other stakeholders.
According to him, the domestic league must be repositioned as an attractive commercial product capable of generating value for players, coaches, match officials, journalists, broadcasters, sponsors and investors.
“We need the media to support us on this journey and ensure that the league is run properly. It has to be on television, it has to be commercialised and it has to become a product that everybody can benefit from,” Olopade stated.
The NSC Director-General noted that football should no longer be viewed solely as a sporting activity but as a thriving business capable of creating employment opportunities and stimulating economic growth.
He lamented that while sports journalism requires extensive travel and coverage of competitions across the country and internationally, many Nigerian sports journalists are yet to earn commensurate financial rewards from their profession.
Drawing comparisons with international best practices, Olopade observed that journalists covering major global sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup receive substantial remuneration because the sports industry in those countries is properly commercialised.
“Why are our journalists not making money? A journalist covering the World Cup for a major newspaper can earn millions because sports has become a thriving business. We must create similar opportunities here in Nigeria”.
The NSC boss explained that the ongoing football reforms are in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places emphasis on wealth creation, economic empowerment and expanding opportunities across different sectors of the economy.
According to him, the sports ecosystem must be structured in a way that guarantees benefits for everyone involved, from athletes and coaches to media practitioners, broadcasters, administrators and private investors.
Olopade maintained that a professionally managed and commercially viable league would attract television rights deals, sponsorships, increased fan engagement and private sector investment capable of transforming Nigerian football into a self-sustaining industry.
He therefore appealed to the media to continue supporting the National Sports Commission’s reform agenda through objective reporting, public enlightenment and constructive criticism.
“We are pleading with the media to support these football reforms because when you reform the league, you automatically reform Nigerian football and strengthen the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Everybody must benefit from the economics of sports,” he said.
The Director-General reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to building a sustainable sports economy where football serves as a catalyst for national development, youth empowerment and job creation. He stressed that strengthening the domestic league remains one of the major pillars of the NSC’s long-term vision for repositioning Nigerian sports as a significant contributor to the nation’s economy.