Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has called on Nigeria Premier Football League clubs to strengthen player welfare, with a particular focus on more reliable salary payment systems. He argued that weak financial structures remain a major driver behind the continued exodus of talented players from the country.
In an interview with Brila FM, Oliseh said footballers should not be targeted for trying their luck overseas when some domestic sides struggle to meet wage commitments. His view was that criticism of players for leaving often overlooks the reality of day-to-day instability at club level.
Quick facts
- Sunday Oliseh urges NPFL clubs to improve player welfare and salary structures.
- He says poor financial conditions are a key reason talented players leave Nigeria.
- Oliseh argues players should not be criticised for moving abroad for better opportunities.
- He believes consistent salary payment matters more than promises that go unfulfilled.
- Oliseh cited his own career experience, saying wages were paid on time during his playing days.
Oliseh, a former Borussia Dortmund and Juventus midfielder, also stressed that football is a job and that players rely on their pay to support their families and plan ahead. In his assessment, earnings are not just a reward for performance, but a necessity for everyday life.
“Football is a business. It is what players use to pay bills, feed their families and plan their future,” Oliseh said. He added that even lower wages can still be meaningful when clubs are consistent, rather than offering assurances that never translate into payments.
He said the most important factor is stability—knowing that salaries will arrive as agreed—rather than the size of the contract value. Oliseh suggested that a dependable payment routine can outweigh bigger promises that fail to materialise.
Lessons from his playing days
Looking back on his own time in the game, Oliseh noted that players in his era earned less overall, but clubs made sure wages were handled properly. He pointed to the difference between modest pay and regular payment as a key contrast with the current environment.
“When we were playing, there was never one month they owed us. It may have been small money, but it came regularly,” he said. For Oliseh, that regularity was proof that domestic clubs could manage finances responsibly even without top-tier earnings.
The former Super Eagles coach added that Nigerian clubs must build a better working environment if they want to keep talent in the NPFL. He framed retention as a club responsibility, arguing that players will naturally look elsewhere when conditions at home become difficult.
His comments arrive amid continuing concerns about unpaid wages, weak contract management, and challenging working conditions within the league. They also feed into the wider debate about the long-term growth of Nigerian football, as younger players increasingly move to competitions in Europe, North Africa, and Asia.
Oliseh’s position is that footballers should not be blamed for pursuing financial security abroad when local structures do not offer the stability needed for a secure livelihood. In his view, fixing payment reliability and club governance is essential to slowing the drain of talent from Nigeria.
