Afrinvest Calls for Stronger Governance

Afrinvest West Africa Group Managing Director Ike Chioke has called for improved transparency, stronger governance and wider corporate involvement in the Nigeria Premier Football League after Enugu Rangers sealed their ninth league title, The PUNCH reports.

Rangers clinched the 2025/26 NPFL crown with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ikorodu City in Lagos on Sunday, completing another successful campaign that underlined their dominance in Nigerian football history.

Chioke said the moment was deeply emotional, describing Rangers’ latest triumph as evidence of the progress made since Afrinvest’s partnership with the club began in 2023.

“Excited is an understatement. I am elated. It has been an incredible journey, and coming out of the stadium this evening to see our team carry the cup for the second time in three years has been nothing less than fascinating and amazing,” Chioke told our correspondent.

He added that Afrinvest remained committed to its relationship with the club and would continue to support its long-term growth.

“We are very proud of what the boys have achieved, and we are super excited that this partnership will continue and take them to even greater heights,” Chioke said.

Beyond club success, he urged the NPFL to adopt stronger standards of administration and fairness across the league to attract more corporate sponsors.

Chioke noted that while Nigerian football had improved in recent years, significant gaps remained in organisation, infrastructure and matchday experience.

“Over the course of watching the game religiously and following Nigerian football closely for the past three seasons, from when we started the partnership in 2023 to the end of this 2025/26 season, I can see that Nigerian football has improved, but there is still a whole lot more that we can do,” he said.

He highlighted stadium access, team management and prize money distribution as areas needing urgent reform, while stressing the importance of fairness and equity in the domestic game.

“There is much more we can do in team management, organising football stadiums and making it easier for fans to come in and enjoy the games,” he said.

“There is also much more we can do in developing the teams. Even the way prize money is shared can be improved. But, most importantly, there has to be equity and fairness in football.”

Chioke also referenced officiating standards in the title-deciding match, suggesting that consistency and balance were crucial to building trust in the league.

“You could see in the final game that our boys played their hearts out, but you could also see that the referee was not totally balanced. We need to bring our standards closer to international football,” he said.

“It is that ability to bring transparency and discipline that will allow more corporate sponsorship to come into Nigerian football.”

He further called on major Nigerian companies to increase investment in football, noting that Afrinvest is relatively small compared to large corporations capable of supporting multiple clubs across the NPFL.

“We have over 20 teams in the NPFL going into next season. The Dangotes of this world, the banks, the cement companies and many others should really be sponsoring football in Nigeria,” he said.

He urged the NPFL to prioritise transparency and discipline to strengthen the league’s commercial appeal.

“I will be excited for Afrinvest to be given the opportunity to partner with the league at that level and hopefully elevate the game even further within Nigeria,” he said.

Rangers CEO Amobi Ezeaku also praised Afrinvest’s role in the club’s success, describing the company as central to its strategic transformation.

“You cannot speak about Rangers and what we have achieved without acknowledging Afrinvest’s impact,” Ezeaku told our correspondent.

“Afrinvest is the pillar behind the execution of our strategic plan. You could see that when they came on board, they did not just come in as a corporate entity. They truly owned the Rangers movement, and they still do.”

He added that the club’s recent success reflected the strength of the partnership and its impact on performance and structure.

“Look at what is happening. It is a huge achievement and a big surprise to many people,” he said.

Rangers’ latest title success, their ninth overall, extends a decorated history that includes championships in 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984, 2016 and 2023/24.