When the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau first made the pledge to introduce the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) into the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL), many domestic football supporters lauded it as a great intervention.
The rollout, slated for the 2025/2026 season, represents a strategic pivot toward modernising the domestic game and addressing long-standing concerns regarding officiating transparency.
However, the NPFL, through its chairman, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, declared that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and goal-line technology will no longer be introduced in the upcoming 2025/26 season, with financial reasons as the major constraints.
Elegbeleye said: “The cost of installing VAR is very high, and to be honest, the NPFL currently cannot afford such an investment.”
He further said they are prioritising VAR over goal-line technology, even though both remain out of reach at the moment.
In today’s football game, VAR helps in multiple aspects of the game, including offsides, penalties, and red card decisions, which the lead umpire’s sight might not catch.
Failure to invest in technology like this poses a significant setback to the progress of domestic games like the NPFL.
It is against this backdrop that the Sporting Tribune analyses the need to have VAR in the NPFL.
Restoring the ‘Away Win’ Integrity
By joining the league of those already using VAR, NPFL will not only restore the integrity of every visitor in a match but also project the league in a good way.
It is no longer news that the NPFL was plagued by the “home-advantage” phenomenon for years, where visiting teams rarely secured points due to questionable officiating in intimidating atmospheres.
Referees often face immense pressure from home fans and officials, leading to “soft” penalties or ignored blatant fouls against visitors.
Ending the “AFCON Blackout” for Nigerian Referees
A major embarrassment for Nigerian football is the continued absence of its referees from elite stages. Notably, no Nigerian referee was selected for AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
The barrier now is: CAF and FIFA prioritise officials who are “VAR-certified.” Without a domestic league that utilises the technology, Nigerian referees lack the hands-on experience required to handle high-stakes international matches.
