The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is searching for sponsors to help bring Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology into the country’s top football league.
The league chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, made this known during a media briefing held in Abuja to mark the end of the 2024/25 season.
Over the years, there have been growing calls for VAR in the NPFL, especially due to several controversial refereeing decisions. While defending the league’s referees, Elegbeleye said they are among the best in the world, but need better tools to do their job.
“We want to move to the next level with VAR,” Elegbeleye said. “Right now, we are looking for sponsors to buy the VAR equipment. It’s expensive, and those who will handle it also need to be trained.”
He revealed that the NPFL has already made progress by introducing communication gadgets for referees in the 2024/25 season.
“We’ve had an online meeting with VAR manufacturers. Before you use VAR, you must first use communication tools. You don’t have to go to the screen every time—you can simply talk to the officials monitoring the video,” he explained.
According to him, 10 referees who are computer literate have already been shortlisted by the Nigeria Football Federation to undergo VAR training in Morocco.
In addition, Elegbeleye announced that the new NPFL season will kick off on August 22, 2025.
This move, if successful, will mark a major step forward for officiating in Nigerian football and help rebuild confidence in match decisions.
