As Nigeria’s football season enters a crucial period, a strong warning has come from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Referees across the country’s top leagues—the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), and even the Nationwide League (NLO)—have been told in clear terms: uphold fairness and integrity, or face serious consequences.
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This new directive, issued by the NFF Refereeing Development Committee on Wednesday, comes at a time when match outcomes are becoming more important than ever in the race for titles, promotion, and survival.
The Federation is worried that some referees may be under pressure from clubs or agents to favour certain teams, a move that the NFF is desperate to nip in the bud.
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Close watch
The NFF has set up a special monitoring team to be present at match venues. Their job is to watch matches closely and report anything that doesn’t follow the rules of the game.
According to the Federation, many of these games will now be streamed live, so fans, journalists, and football authorities can also see how referees perform.
The NFF has unequivocally declared that referees found guilty of match manipulation will not only be suspended but could be banned from football for at least 10 years.
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Worse still, they could be handed over to the State Security Services for criminal investigation and prosecution.
Troubled record
The new warning follows a worrying trend in Nigerian refereeing. Referees from the country are rarely selected for major international tournaments, unlike in the past when Nigerian match officials were represented at African and even global competitions.
But things have changed. Poor officiating decisions, lack of consistency, and accusations of bias have hurt the reputation of Nigerian referees.
One example came just this February when the NFF suspended referee Emmanuel Kolawole.
He was found to have awarded a controversial penalty to Heartland during their NPFL match against Shooting Stars in Owerri. Heartland went on to win 2-1.
The committee ruled that the penalty call was wrong and influenced the result unfairly.
This suspension sent a message, but many believe it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The bigger picture
While NFF’s recent action shows a desire to clean up officiating, the problems go deeper.
Many referees operate under difficult conditions. Low pay, threats from fans or club officials, and a lack of proper training make it hard to perform at the highest level.
READ ALSO: NFF mourns as ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, 1980 AFCON-winning captain, dies at 74
In the past seasons, fans have grown increasingly frustrated with poor officiating. Club officials complain of unfair decisions, and with every controversial call, Nigerian football loses some of the trust it badly needs to grow.
With matchday 35 of the NPFL scheduled across 10 centres, and other leagues in full swing, all eyes are now on the referees as many are keen to see if they will rise to the occasion.
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