NPFL Splashes N2M Cash Gift to Outstanding Performers in 2024/25 Season

By Arinzechi Chukwunonso

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has celebrated excellence from the just-concluded 2024/25 season by honouring two of its most outstanding performers with cash awards of ₦2 million each. The recipients were Nasarawa United striker Anas Yusuf, the league’s top scorer, and Daniel Ogunmodede, head coach of newly crowned champions Remo Stars.

Yusuf, who netted 18 goals during the campaign, proved instrumental for Nasarawa United and earned the prestigious top scorer’s accolade. Ogunmodede, on his part, masterminded a historic season for Remo Stars, guiding the Ikenne-based club to their first-ever NPFL title with 71 points. The triumph not only cemented their place in Nigerian football history but also marked them as the first privately-owned club from South-West Nigeria since 2000 to lift the league trophy.

Speaking at the award presentation, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, represented by the federation’s Secretary General, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, commended the progress made by the NPFL board under its current leadership. He urged Nigerians to support the domestic league rather than criticize it. “The league is improving week in and week out. Every day, I receive not less than 20 invitations from clubs abroad. Instead of castigating our league, let us support and rally around it because the growth is obvious. The NFF fully supports what the NPFL board is doing,” Sanusi said.

In his remarks, NPFL Chairman, Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, highlighted the strides taken to reposition the league in recent years. He noted that the NPFL had succeeded in delivering three consecutive seasons on schedule, a feat that has boosted credibility and attracted private-sector investment. “We continue to work around the teething issues that could disrupt the smooth running of the league. Over the last three years, we’ve been able to start and finish the season as scheduled. This consistency has built confidence from the private sector, which is now willing to work with us. Our dream is to raise the quality and standard of the NPFL, ultimately increasing revenue for clubs and organisers,” Elegbeleye stated.

For Yusuf, the recognition is both a reward and an inspiration. The prolific forward expressed gratitude to the NPFL for acknowledging his achievement and pledged to aim even higher in the coming season. “I’m happy to be recognised by the NPFL. This award motivates me to push harder, and I hope to surpass my goal-scoring record from last season—hopefully scoring more than 20 goals,” he said.

The 2024/25 NPFL season will be remembered not only for Remo Stars’ groundbreaking triumph but also for the league’s improved competitiveness and professionalism. The recognition of individual excellence, as seen with Yusuf and Ogunmodede, further underscores the NPFL’s determination to build a vibrant and rewarding ecosystem for players, coaches, and stakeholders across Nigerian football.