TheCable

John Enoh, minister of sports development, says Tony Elumelu helped invite more potential buyers interested in purchasing Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) clubs.

The minister spoke following a meeting with Elumelu on Sunday.

On April 8, Elumelu had hinted at buying a club in the Nigerian first division.

The chairman of the United Bank of Africa (UBA) said his team was evaluating the “viability” of owning a club in the NPFL.

Acting on the move, the sports minister said he visited Elumelu to “discuss buying a league club”. 

He added that the UBA chairman was receptive to the idea, and “he also made sure to call potential buyers on the spot and extend conversations in this regard”.

“The conversation to buy league clubs in the country for very obvious reasons has been underway. Let me express my gratitude to my brother and friend Tony Elumelu, who has shown great passion and commitment in this direction,” the minister said.

“My team and I paid him a visit to discuss buying a league club. Not only did he receive us with open arms, but he also made sure to call potential buyers on the spot and extend conversations in this regard. I appreciate his dedication to developing football in Nigeria.”

Only three teams — Sporting Lagos, Remo Stars, and Doma United — out of the 20 NPFL teams are owned by private entities. The remaining clubs are government-owned.