The elite football league in Nigeria has undergone a lot of metamorphosis and suffered like many other sports properties in the country. This was due to poor administrative structures, inefficient financial management, and a lack of sustainable funds to grow the asset. The ownership structure of the professional clubs requires a shift to the private sector rather than the present prevailing public sector.

A flashback in history revealed that the elite league was founded in 1972 with six teams doing battle in the maiden edition of the then Nigeria National League. However, on Saturday, May 12, 1990, at the Onikan Stadium Lagos, the league was rechristened the “Professional League” with the goal of modernizing the game and making clubs self-sufficient. Decrees 10 and 11 which codified the introduction of professional football in Nigeria stipulated that professional clubs should be run as limited liability companies, each governed by a regularly

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