Kunle Soname, billionaire businessman and proprietor of Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side Remo Stars, has expanded his call for reforms in Nigerian football by proposing concrete measures he believes can curb poor officiating and restore confidence in the domestic league.
Speaking at a press conference in Ikenne, Mr Soname said the crisis facing NPFL refereeing requires more than expressions of concern, arguing that only structural changes, transparency and sustained oversight will address what he described as a long-standing problem.
He stressed that his intervention was motivated by concern for the future of Nigerian football rather than narrow club interests.
“Let me be clear from the outset: I am not here today as the owner of a club, but as a stakeholder deeply invested in the credibility and future of our game,” he said. “Nigerian football is bigger than all of us.”
Dark art
Concerns over officiating in the Nigeria Premier Football League are not new. For years, clubs, coaches and players have complained about inconsistent refereeing decisions, controversial penalty calls and uneven application of the rules, particularly in high-stakes matches.
These concerns have repeatedly surfaced during decisive phases of the season, often influencing title races, continental qualification battles and relegation fights.
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The NPFL has, at various times, acknowledged the problem, issuing sanctions against referees and clubs following violent reactions to disputed decisions.
Despite periodic reforms and disciplinary actions, Nigerian referees have struggled to regain international relevance.
No Nigerian referee has been appointed to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations in nearly two decades, a stark contrast to earlier eras when Nigerian officials were regular fixtures at continental tournaments.
Analysts and key players have linked this decline to the quality of officiating in the domestic league, arguing that weak accountability structures, limited exposure, and inadequate performance review mechanisms have continued to undermine confidence in match officials and the overall credibility of the league.
To this end, Mr Soname has made some suggestions he believes can sanitize the league.
Bold proposals
At the heart of his proposals is a call for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to establish an independent committee of experts tasked with reviewing officiating performances across the league on a weekly basis.
According to Mr Soname, the committee should watch the full 90 minutes of all NPFL matches each matchday and objectively assess the decisions made by referees.
He suggested that referees who perform best, based on clear and transparent criteria, should be publicly recognised and rewarded.
Mr Soname believes such incentives would motivate officials to “consciously do what is right”, knowing that excellence will be acknowledged rather than overlooked.
Beyond internal assessment, he advocated a return of NPFL matches to regular television broadcast.
Mr Soname argued that increased visibility would naturally improve officiating standards, as referees would be aware that their decisions are being scrutinised by millions of viewers, analysts and former officials.
He said the absence of consistent television coverage has reduced accountability and shielded questionable decisions from broader public debate.
In his view, restoring live broadcasts would not only enhance the league’s commercial value but also serve as a deterrent against poor or biased officiating.
Another key element of his proposed solution is the involvement of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies.
Mr Soname admitted the necessity of institutions such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) paying closer attention to the sports sector.
He argued that when regulatory and investigative agencies “beam their searchlights” on football administration and officiating, it sends a clear message that malpractice will no longer be tolerated and that the sports industry is not exempt from national accountability standards.
Mr Soname linked these proposals to the broader issue of Nigeria’s absence from elite refereeing appointments on the continent.
He noted that no Nigerian referee has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations in the last 17 years, a situation he attributed to compromised domestic standards and weak oversight structures.
“For 17 years, not a single Nigerian referee has been selected to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations,” he said. “The uncomfortable reason is clear: the standard of officiating in our domestic league is fundamentally compromised.”
He maintained that reforms must also include improved training, regular assessment and clear consequences for repeated poor performances, warning that defending obvious errors with implausible explanations only deepens mistrust.
“Football thrives on fairness,” Mr Soname said. “Our players deserve fairness, our fans deserve honesty, and our league deserves integrity. Nigerian football deserves better.”
Mr Soname also emphasised the importance of evidence-based decision-making by football authorities.
He disclosed that he had compiled video clips of at least five recent officiating incidents which, according to him, clearly demonstrate errors that directly altered match outcomes.
These clips, he said, have been shared with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the NPFL, as well as analysed by match officials in Europe.
“These are not ‘50–50’ calls,” he said. “They are blatant errors captured on video, decisions that directly change match outcomes and contradict all available evidence.”
Among the incidents cited were two unawarded penalties in a single match involving Remo Stars, a clear foul ignored against his team that led directly to an opposition goal, and a legitimate goal scored by Rangers International against Rivers United that was wrongly disallowed.
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He stressed that referencing Rangers and Rivers United was deliberate, to show that the issue is league-wide and not targeted at any single club.
Mr Soname tasked the NFF and NPFL management to act decisively on these proposals and others that will combat the issues raised, insisting that without bold reforms, the credibility of the league will continue to suffer both locally and internationally.
He concluded by expressing readiness to continue engaging stakeholders and the media, maintaining that meaningful reform, though difficult, is essential if the NPFL is to command respect at home and abroad.
