The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has issued a directive to all clubs to create official websites and enhance their social media presence to boost fan engagement and generate revenue from these platforms. This was one of the key resolutions from a one-day summit for club media directors, held on Friday in Makurdi, Benue State.
The summit was inaugurated by the Executive Governor of Benue State, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, who ordered that the ongoing rehabilitation of the Aper Aku Stadium, the home ground of Lobi Stars, be expedited to eight weeks instead of the previously planned ten weeks. Governor Alia also pledged to renovate the Gboko Township Stadium along with other sporting facilities across the state. Additionally, he announced the procurement of three buses for Lobi Stars and assured that all outstanding financial obligations to the club would be settled.
During an interactive session with the Club Media Directors, NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Prince Davidson Owumi, informed attendees that clubs without websites would receive official notifications requiring them to establish one within a month. Owumi also encouraged Media Officers to focus on personal development to enhance their skills, thereby contributing more effectively to their clubs’ fan and community engagement.
The workshop featured several resource persons, including NPFL Director of Media, Harry Iwuala, who delivered insights on becoming an effective club media officer. Andrew Randa presented on utilizing multimedia tools to enhance club media functions, while Barrister Uche Egbe, NPFL Head of Legal and Compliance, provided an overview of the relevant codes and regulations governing the conduct of club officials.
Additional speakers at the event included Lazarus Ibeabuchi, Head of Public Relations at StarTimes, and Andrew Ekejiuba of GTI Assets Management.
By Ebubedike Ochu
