NPFL won’t resume until basic conditions are met - FG

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Gabriel Aduda, has warned that the Nigeria Professional Football League will not resume until basic conditions are fulfilled.

Aduda stated this on Saturday, following the Federal Government’s approval for sports activities to resume nationwide behind closed doors.

The FG, through the implementation guideline for phase three of the eased lockdown on September 3, granted permission for the resumption of sporting leagues without fans.

But Aduda stated that necessary steps would be put in place first by the Nigeria Football Federation and clubs, before the league, which was cancelled in March, would resume.

“Indeed, the steps to return our football league to prime position is ongoing,” Aduda said in a statement signed by the media aide to the sports minister, John-Joshua Akanji.

“The domestic league will not commence until the regulations and controls in the aspect of financial and licensing control are put in place.

“The Nigeria Football Federation must put clubs on notice and enforce these regulations and controls as stipulated, otherwise the Nigerian professional and amateur leagues would not be approved for resumption.”

The statement added that sports minister Sunday Dare had directed the NFF to communicate with the clubs the need to comply fully with financial controls and regulation as stipulated in the rule books, before a date would be fixed for the resumption of the league.

Meanwhile, the ministry has set up a COVID-19 monitoring and approval team for every sport engagement.