Nigeria’s government has revoked the operating licence of League Management Company and declared it illegal, according to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. The declaration was affirmed by the Federal Government regarding unpleasant management of the league lately and specifically using the court to declare Nigeria Football League (NFL) illegal.
The Federal Government is confined to withdrawing its recognition of the LMC as the operator of the Nigeria Professional Football League, with immediate effect.
The League Management Company which has been operating under the Nigeria Football Federation since 2012 to help organize and operate the league first-tier NPFL has been banned.
The Federal Government has ordered the immediate scrambling of LMC and decreed that an Interim Management Committee (IMC) is set up, to include the current Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the LMC to oversee the affairs of the League until a proper Professional League Board is constituted in accordance with the Statutes of the NFF.
A press statement from the Ministry of Sports:
This decision has become necessary because of the obvious aberration (which is at variance with our football statutes or the laws of the land) whereby a private company is GIFTED the mandate to manage or run the league indefinitely, without the full involvement of and leadership by the clubs, and devoid of any process to monitor the progress and development of the game.
Sequel to the above, and in order to rescue our domestic football from total collapse, the BOARD OF THE LMC AND THE LMC AS A BODY WOULD NO LONGER BE RECOGNISED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS OPERATOR OF THE NIGERIAN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
To avert further chaos in our domestic football, the NFF is advised to immediately withdraw the Licence given to the LMC and, in the meantime, set up an Interim Management Committee (IMC), to include the current Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the LMC to oversee the affairs of the League until a proper Professional League Board is constituted in accordance with the Statutes of the NFF.
