The Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Chief Davidson Owumi, has sounded the alarm that the league and its clubs are bleeding millions of naira in potential sponsorships due to unreliable and outdated club data.
Addressing participants on Wednesday during a mandatory workshop for media directors and marketing officers of the 20 NPFL clubs in Enugu, Owumi urged club executives to properly fund their media departments so they can deliver on their critical mandate.
He stressed that clubs must urgently abandon their total reliance on government handouts and instead leverage modern, data-driven marketing to lure major corporate partners.
Underlining a push for higher commercial standards, the COO revealed that the NPFL is set to enforce strict guidelines on club branding, digital engagement, and social media footprint.
“There will be standards, and from the middle of the season, clubs will be expected to adhere to them,” Owumi stated clearly.
Reinforcing the message, Rangers International General Manager Barrister Amobi Ezeaku challenged media and marketing officers to shift their mindset and treat football strictly as a commercial enterprise.
Ezeaku urged management teams to flood host communities and high-traffic locations like airports with branded souvenirs to maximize visibility and deepen fan loyalty.
Organized as part of the buildup to the 2026/27 NPFL kickoff, the high-level seminar zeroed in on boosting the financial potential of Nigerian football through elite branding, data management, and strategic partner engagement.
The workshop successfully brought together key commercial and communications representatives from all 20 premier league clubs to lay the groundwork for a more lucrative season.
