In a bid to revive and strengthen the Nigerian Premier League, former Minister for Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, has expressed his support for the Interim Management Committee (IMC) to continue overseeing the abridged league for an additional two seasons.
Highlighting the success achieved in the recently concluded season, Dare believes that the IMC’s dedication, fearlessness, and transparency have the potential to propel the Nigerian Premier League to the top of the continent. Speaking to Media Talk Africa in Lagos, Dare stated, “I’m an advocate of the abridged league because that is the short therapy for a comatose league like ours.”
The introduction of the abridged league format has been met with positive feedback, with the condensed season proving to be an effective remedy for the long-standing challenges faced by Nigerian football. Dare emphasized the need for the IMC to continue its efforts, stating, “My advocacy is that they (IMC) should continue for another two seasons; by then, everything would have been normalized.”
Dare also highlighted the potential benefits of reinforcing regulations and imposing stricter financial licensing measures. This, he believes, would result in a more streamlined and competitive league, potentially reducing the number of teams participating. By consistently applying these measures, the Nigerian Premier League has the potential to not only improve its standards but also become a model for other leagues on the African continent.
In the 2022-23 edition of the Nigerian Premier League, Enyimba emerged as the champions, securing the title and N100 million in prize money.
