The Nigerian Premier Football League is becoming more visible to fans and national team selectors, helping more homegrown players get noticed, a Sporting Lagos official has said.
Michael Oyiga, external relations manager at Sporting Lagos, said a new media deal, social media activity and clubs producing their own videos have made NPFL games and players easier to watch.
He said the league’s improved visibility had already helped national team manager Eric Chelle identify players, while several young players from the league have also featured around the Super Eagles.
“Now we have Eric Chelle coming to the games,” Oyiga said.
“It is easier for you to see a player is good.
"It is easier for you to go and verify a player is good.”
However, Oyiga said the league had suffered in the past from poor media coverage and negative public views about its quality.
He said some fans believed NPFL matches were difficult to win away from home, while problems with how the league was managed also affected its growth.
Oyiga said many Nigerians also prefer foreign leagues because they already have a fixed idea of what the NPFL is like, even without attending matches.
He said clubs now need to make games more attractive and engage communities, influencers and young people to bring more fans into stadiums.
Sporting Lagos, he said, has used community engagement and other activities to attract supporters, adding that the club recently sold out tickets for a match.
Oyiga said the league was now showing signs of growth, pointing to Sporting Lagos’ away wins, including a 3-2 victory over Enyimba in Aba, where home fans applauded the visiting players after the match.
He said the NPFL was already becoming a stronger pathway for homegrown players into the national team, but called for better salaries to help retain players.
He also said the growing involvement of young people in club administration was bringing new ideas and helping the league gain attention after games.
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