Fresh concerns have emerged among Nigeria Premier Football League referees over outstanding match indemnities and welfare issues, with the latest administrative changes in Nigerian football raising questions about who will now take responsibility for settling the payments, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Several match officials are understood to be awaiting payments from the 2025/26 NPFL season, including indemnities and allowances linked to league fixtures and matches involving the President’s Federation Cup.
The officials had raised the issue of unpaid allowances before the start of the 2026/27 campaign. However, the removal of the NPFL board by the interim leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation as part of the ongoing administrative changes has reportedly created uncertainty over the authority that will address the outstanding financial obligations.
The situation has also revived concerns over other welfare matters previously raised by referees with the league authorities.
It is the second time in 2026 that match officials have publicly complained about unpaid indemnities. In January, reports emerged that referees, match commissioners and referee assessors were owed payments covering around 11 matchdays before some of the outstanding allowances were eventually cleared.
Referees’ basic matchday indemnities are reportedly between N60,000 and N90,000, excluding accommodation and transportation allowances.
Ahead of the current season, the officials also complained about an alleged directive requiring each referee to pay N50,000 for uniforms, with the payment deadline reportedly set for the end of August.
The referees further accused the league’s Referees Committee of victimisation in the selection and retention of officials, claiming that some experienced referees had been dropped despite being below the stipulated age limit and passing the required fitness tests.
“So the victimisation continued in the NRA? As Nigeria league is starting, they asked all referees to pay N50,000 each for a uniform, with a deadline of the end of August.
“And these referees were not paid for last season’s matches,” the officials said in a statement obtained by The PUNCH.
The officials also questioned the decision to remove referees based on the number of years they had spent officiating in the NPFL.
“How will the ref committee remove a referee from the NPFL for being in the league for long, even when he hasn’t reached 45 years? Isn’t that wickedness?
“So long as the ref can run and pass fitness, why remove him by force on the grounds of the number of years spent in the league? Is it a crime to stay long, remain fit, and do well in the Nigerian league as a referee?
“Why are we so wicked to our system? Many referees cannot write, yet you allow them and remove those who have been consistent for years through discipline and hard work. Is this how to reward hard work in the Nigerian league as a referee?”
Checks by The PUNCH reportedly indicated that some officials were still expecting payments dating back to Matchday 26 of the 2025/26 NPFL season.
Acting President of the Nigeria Referees Association, Kelechi Mejuobi, declined to comment directly on the alleged outstanding payments and referred enquiries to the league organisers.
“NRA cannot talk until you hear from the NPFL. They are the league organisers,” Mejuobi told The PUNCH.
The NPFL has previously maintained that outstanding referees’ indemnities had been settled, but some officials have continued to dispute that position, insisting that payments for certain fixtures remain unpaid.
That conflicting position has now taken on added significance following the latest changes to the administration of Nigerian football, with referees seeking clarity on both the outstanding payments and the authority responsible for resolving them.
The issue comes as the NPFL begins the 2026/27 season under a new three-year title sponsorship agreement with Poland-based investment group EuroMatch.
The agreement, unveiled ahead of the campaign, is reportedly worth $7.5 million over three years, equivalent to $2.5 million annually.
Under the reported terms, 60 per cent of the annual sponsorship revenue, approximately $1.5 million, is expected to be distributed among the league’s 20 participating clubs.
With fresh commercial revenue entering the NPFL while Nigerian football undergoes wider administrative reforms, match officials will be watching closely for clarification from the interim authorities and the league’s new administrative structure on when their outstanding indemnities and other welfare obligations will be addressed.