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Ikorodu City FC President Sanmi Doherty has called for a balanced approach to ongoing reforms in Nigerian football, insisting that grassroots development and youth academies must take priority over imposing heavy financial obligations on clubs.
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His comments come in response to the statement by the Director General of the National Sports Commission (CSN), His Excellency. Bukola Olopade, who recently stated that the 2026/27 Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) season would begin regardless of the number of clubs willing to comply with the Commission’s new reform agenda.
Sports247 reports that Olopade reaffirmed the NSC’s commitment to raising professional standards through reforms focused on governance, club licensing, player welfare and commercial sustainability.
Reacting to this development, Doherty argued that sustainable growth in football starts with investing in young talent rather than concentrating resources on expensive player salaries.
“If I can, I want to invest more in my academy and development programmes. I want to start from primary schools, secondary schools and even bring one or two players from the University of Lagos into the league,” he said.
He questioned the feasibility of paying huge salaries to young student-athletes, warning that such an approach could derail their education.
“Should I pay a 300-level student a £2m salary? That’s not possible. I’ll destroy their education with that. We’re telling them to stay in school and keep playing sports.”
Doherty highlighted that prioritizing short-term success over player development could have long-term consequences for Nigerian football.
“If we ignore development and focus more on promotion, then we will be planning to fail in the future. The future of football, or any sport in Nigeria, is to develop our facilities and encourage development programmes.”
Drawing comparisons with established football nations, he cited the model of Germany, where government support through grants, tax incentives and financing has strengthened both grassroots and elite sports.
“The German government provides financial support, tax breaks and subsidies for both elite and grassroots sports. To whom much is given, much is expected.”
The Ikorodu City Chairman further warned against adopting policies that do not reflect the realities of Nigeria, arguing that clubs must first be encouraged to establish sustainable academic structures before being forced to commit huge financial resources towards player salaries.
“We are not talking about why clubs should have their own academies and develop future talents. Instead, the emphasis is on paying ₦2 million for a player. If clubs invest so much in players, where will the money come from to develop academies? We have to do the right things first if we want to get the right results.”
Doherty’s comments have added another dimension to the growing debate over the future direction of Nigerian football, with stakeholders continuing to weigh the balance between raising professional standards and building a sustainable foundation for long-term success.
