Taofeek Lawal
Federal Capital Territory Football Association (FCT FA) chairman, Adam Mohammed Mouktar, has advocated for more private investment in Nigerian football, especially in the FCT, to replicate the Lagos model.
Mouktar, who stated this during a media chat in Abuja, said the growing involvement of privately-owned football clubs in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has not only left a lasting impact on the football ecosystem but has clearly shown that it is the way to go.
He described football as a soft-strategic global power tool that promotes peace and tranquillity in the world.
According to him, government-owned clubs most of the time pass through financial and administrative limitations in their day-to-day running due to other activities of the government.
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He said, “We want more private investors in the FCT because government-owned clubs cannot do so much. With the numerous responsibilities they carry, it becomes difficult to consistently compete with well-funded and professionally managed teams.
“Private investment is critical if Abuja is to realise its ambition of producing a strong NPFL side once again.”
Mouktar added that deliberate efforts have been made to create an enabling environment for football development, citing the growing number of well-structured football academies springing up across the FCT.
“We have laid the foundation by creating the right environment, which is why we are witnessing an upsurge in properly structured academies. What we need now is for investors to come in, support these initiatives and help take football development in the FCT to the next level,” he stated.
Speaking further, Mouktar added, “I am impressed with what is happening in Lagos State and the NPFL. Last season, privately owned Remo Stars FC won the league, and now clubs such as Inter Lagos FC, Sporting Lagos FC, Ranchers Bees FC and Doma United FC are on the verge of joining the NPFL.
“This will increase the number of privately owned clubs in the top flight to eight, an unprecedented achievement in the history of Nigerian football.”
The FCT FA boss also called for the establishment of a sports tax fund, similar to the education tax fund, saying it will address the challenges of sports funding in the country.
“Funding sports is capital-intensive, and until a tax policy is put in place whereby multinational and corporate organisations give a fraction to sports, that is when we can see meaningful and rapid infrastructural sports development in the country.”
