Referees within the Nigeria Premier Soccer League will smile to the financial institution within the 2024/25 season, which begins on Saturday following the choice of the NPFL board to boost their pay by 50 per cent, apart from being supplied with the newly acquired communications gadget, PUNCH Sports activities Further experiences.
That is in fulfilment of the promise of the league board chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, on the finish of final season.
President of the Nigeria Referees Affiliation, Sani Zubairu, confirmed on Tuesday that the referees are already in coaching forward of the graduation of the league on Saturday.
“We’re in coaching already to get the referees used to the tools. Will probably be utilized by all 4 referees for all of the 380 matches of the NPFL, together with the Federation Cup matches,” the NRA president instructed PUNCH Sports activities Further.
“It will improve the efficiency of our referees, as you can’t evaluate officers utilizing devices with these that aren’t. So, we’re nonetheless anticipating extra high-performance devices to be supplied for our referees as time goes on.”
PUNCH Sports activities Further gathered that the referees’ coaching is finished in batches on the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In the meantime, for the second time within the final 12 months, the referees will even be getting elevated match indemnities.
“Motivation is essential for referees, too, and the NFF has at all times promised to cater for the welfare of our referees,” Zubairu added.
One of many components that affect how a lot a referee earns within the NPFL is the space they cowl, based on a prime official of one of many companions of the league.
“Their cash is calculated by the space they journey to their match venues. We spend near 10m on match officers each match day. The least quantity a ref can earn is N200,000 or N150,000 per match for transport and feeding,” the official stated.
“All of the officers have their lodging paid for 48 hours earlier than they arrive at their match venue. As they take off, they get their cash, they usually know the place they’ll lodge. We pay for lodging straight to the lodge, whereas feeding and transport allowances are paid in money earlier than they go away for his or her match venues. Issues have modified; it’s not like earlier than.”
This was the cost construction earlier than the most recent increment, and the association understandably stays.