UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu sets sights on purchasing NPFL club

Founder and Chairman of United Bank of Africa, Tony Elumelu, is considering the prospect of acquiring a Nigerian football club, as reported by Soccernet.ng.

The ongoing struggles of teams in the Nigeria Premier Football League have sparked discussions within the Nigerian football community, with private club ownership emerging as a potential solution.

In response to this, Nigerian lawyer Adedayo Mustapha proposed that major corporations in Nigeria should consider purchasing league clubs as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. This move, he suggested, could inject healthy competition into the league.

“Can we get the President and Ministry of Sport to weigh in on the big corporations in Nigeria to buy at least one league club as part of CSR? Imagine dangote buys Kano pillars, BUA buys Kwara United, elumelu acquires rivers United, geregu takes over 3sc. Imagine the competition” wrote Adedayo Mustapha on his X (formerly Twitter account)

Can we get the President and Ministry of Sport to weigh in on the big corporations in Nigeria to buy at least one league club as part of CSR? Imagine dangote buys Kano pillars, BUA buys Kwara United, elumelu acquires rivers United, geregu takes over 3sc. Imagine the competition https://t.co/faKwzRXCpI

— Adedayo Mustapha (@LawyerDayo) April 8, 2024

Elumelu, in response to Mustapha’s proposal, confirmed that Sports Minister John Enoh has discussed the idea with him, and they are exploring its feasibility.

“This is a promising concept. Sports Minister Senator John Enoh  is already exploring this possibility and has engaged me in discussions. We are currently assessing its viability,” Elumelu stated.

This is a nice idea 👍🏽.

The Sports Minister, Senator John Enoh @OwanEnoh, is already thinking along this line and has approached me and we are already evaluating viability. https://t.co/egXKD12RPC

— Tony O. Elumelu, CFR (@TonyOElumelu) April 8, 2024

The Nigerian league is currently in its second phase, with teams like Enugu Rangers, Lobi Stars, Remo Stars, and reigning NPFL champions Enyimba FC vying for the title.

N.B: Do you suggests the purchases of NPFL teams by business owners or corporations? Leave your comments below.

Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and an Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories.

Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work.

With a Bachelor’s degree in English Language from Adeyemi College of Education and a Master’s Degree in School Library and Media Technology from the University of Ibadan, Ayomide is well-prepared to excel in the field.