REMO STARS - The privately run NPFL club shaking up the domestic scene - 24/25 NPFL CHAMPIONS

[Sunset]

[aruako1]

My question for those still advocating for state ownership of our football clubs, name one, just one or the top teams in Africa that is state owned?
If you can’t, then you have your answer

In Algeria many of the top clubs are owned by government companies. In Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco, the top clubs receive substantial state subsidies. But that is not the point - my point is that competency in management should be the benchmark. And in Nigeria the private sector is very incompetent as well. I would choose a club run by Alex Otti's government over one run by Emeka Offor as a private entity.

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

Congrats to Remo Stars for a job well done.

Having said that, I wish you guys would stop dumping on State-sponsored clubs just because you favor privately owned clubs. It took the same amount of determination and hard work for Rivers United and all the other clubs that have won it in the past to win it. The success of a private club shouldn’t have to result in the demise of State-sponsored clubs, something some of you have been wishing aloud for. What every well-meaning fan should be wishing is for some of those management traits that made Remo successful to rub off on the other clubs so that collectively, this country can have a forward-looking league


Cheers.

Let us congratulate Remo Stars and try not to divert the thread from their historic victory. Some have tried to divert the thread to their pet obsession with all clubs being privatised by force - they do it on every NPFL thread - except when state owned clubs win. All we should say here really is - CONGRATULATIONS TO REMO STARS FOR A WELL DESERVED VICTORY.

Our football and league will benefit from private investment and professional management. These state sponsored clubs are run like your typical government parastatals with no incentive whatsoever to make profit. And football these days is big business. Also, the governors are not obliged to fund all the clubs activities. You need to hear stories of how the players are starved and treated.

Nothing and nobody is stopping you or any other private citizens from investing in sports. As long as no one is stepping up to do just that, government will continue to live up to its role as the main facilitator of sporting events in this country. Go and invest and stop badmouthing those who are keeping sports alive for Nigerians


Cheers.

[Enugu II]

My question for those still advocating for state ownership of our football clubs, name one, just one or the top teams in Africa that is state owned?
If you can’t, then you have your answer

In Algeria many of the top clubs are owned by government companies. In Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco, the top clubs receive substantial state subsidies. But that is not the point - my point is that competency in management should be the benchmark. And in Nigeria the private sector is very incompetent as well. I would choose a club run by Alex Otti's government over one run by Emeka Offor as a private entity.

Yes, competence can be found everywhere. However, consequences for incompetence differs. In government ownership, incompetence can be carried on for years and sustained because the market does not punish such incompetence as long as public fun ds continue to flow. Not so for private concerns, incompetence will be promptly weeded out by the market. That is important because one encourages competence while the other does not and I have mentioned previously several sectors in Nigeria where the stark difference is demonstrated.

Good that you mention some North African countries. What you fail to mention is how clubs like Zamalek and Ahly loath the fact that the state continues to interfere with the league. In Africa's Elite Football https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13477497, some contributors from North Africa mention this in their scholarly work. There are others. Of course, we may be comfortable with our football is today, but it also demonstrates missed opportunities and a reluctance to investigate a potential to create a much better and bigger football environment.

[Lolly]

Congrats to Remo Stars for a job well done.

Having said that, I wish you guys would stop dumping on State-sponsored clubs just because you favor privately owned clubs. It took the same amount of determination and hard work for Rivers United and all the other clubs that have won it in the past to win it. The success of a private club shouldn’t have to result in the demise of State-sponsored clubs, something some of you have been wishing aloud for. What every well-meaning fan should be wishing is for some of those management traits that made Remo successful to rub off on the other clubs so that collectively, this country can have a forward-looking league


Cheers.

Let us congratulate Remo Stars and try not to divert the thread from their historic victory. Some have tried to divert the thread to their pet obsession with all clubs being privatised by force - they do it on every NPFL thread - except when state owned clubs win. All we should say here really is - CONGRATULATIONS TO REMO STARS FOR A WELL DESERVED VICTORY.

Our football and league will benefit from private investment and professional management. These state sponsored clubs are run like your typical government parastatals with no incentive whatsoever to make profit. And football these days is big business. Also, the governors are not obliged to fund all the clubs activities. You need to hear stories of how the players are starved and treated.

I have never said that private investment is not welcome. I like what Remo Stars, Ikorodu and Sporting Lagos are doing - Sporting are now my second team. However, the emphasis should be on the quality of management - despite the seeming consensus, private enterprise is not always better managed. There are also stories of poor player welfare under private ownership.

Our most successful club locally and internationally is state owned. It has been better managed than several private clubs. The key is the quality of management, not ownership. For instance, I would rather have Enyimba under Governor Otti's (not necessarily directly) than under most Nigerian entrepreneurs. The league should set its standards and exclude any teams that do not meet such standards. A mandate to have only private ownership makes no sense.

What is Governor Otti’s motivation for being in charge of Enyimba FC? The man has left private enterprise to serve the country. And Football is now big business and needs businessmen to run it properly, not a civil servant who survives on handouts from the centre.

And yes, the state sponsored teams have been winning the league for years but they have been using state funds to run things. It’s time to hand over to the private sector.

[aruako1]

My question for those still advocating for state ownership of our football clubs, name one, just one or the top teams in Africa that is state owned?
If you can’t, then you have your answer

In Algeria many of the top clubs are owned by government companies. In Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco, the top clubs receive substantial state subsidies. But that is not the point - my point is that competency in management should be the benchmark. And in Nigeria the private sector is very incompetent as well. I would choose a club run by Alex Otti's government over one run by Emeka Offor as a private entity.

Yes, competence can be found everywhere. However, consequences for incompetence differs. In government ownership, incompetence can be carried on for years and sustained because the market does not punish such incompetence as long as public fun ds continue to flow. Not so for private concerns, incompetence will be promptly weeded out by the market. That is important because one encourages competence while the other does not and I have mentioned previously several sectors in Nigeria where the stark difference is demonstrated.

Good that you mention some North African countries. What you fail to mention is how clubs like Zamalek and Ahly loath the fact that the state continues to interfere with the league. In Africa's Elite Football https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13477497, some contributors from North Africa mention this in their scholarly work. There are others. Of course, we may be comfortable with our football is today, but it also demonstrates missed opportunities and a reluctance to investigate a potential to create a much better and bigger football environment.

I have never been opposed to private ownership - if competent private investors come for Enyimba, then I will support it. What I don't agree with is this "private is always better" mentality. Both government and private clubs have failed in the past (Stationary Stores is one of multiple state owned teams that failed). You cannot be quiet when Enyimba, Rangers and Rivers United win and roll out the privatisation propaganda when Remo wins.

For every Ahly or Zamalek complaining about state intervention, you have clubs in Saudi that are happy with it. The issue should never be ownership - the league should set the rules and be strict about compliance, irrespective of ownership. I flew Ibom Air, a state owned airline, last October for the first time, and I now fly it ahead of Air Peace, which is privately owned.

If private clubs must dominate, then they should do it the way Remo Stars, Ikorodu and Sporting have done it. They shouldn't rely on a ban on state owned clubs.

The evolution I prefer to see is fan ownership as we have seen in parts of Europe. If properly managed it can make the club management accountable to the fans and also make it aligned with community objectives. This insistence on private ownership as a magic pill will not work...the first point should always be about competence.

[aruako1]

Congrats to Remo Stars for a job well done.

Having said that, I wish you guys would stop dumping on State-sponsored clubs just because you favor privately owned clubs. It took the same amount of determination and hard work for Rivers United and all the other clubs that have won it in the past to win it. The success of a private club shouldn’t have to result in the demise of State-sponsored clubs, something some of you have been wishing aloud for. What every well-meaning fan should be wishing is for some of those management traits that made Remo successful to rub off on the other clubs so that collectively, this country can have a forward-looking league


Cheers.

Let us congratulate Remo Stars and try not to divert the thread from their historic victory. Some have tried to divert the thread to their pet obsession with all clubs being privatised by force - they do it on every NPFL thread - except when state owned clubs win. All we should say here really is - CONGRATULATIONS TO REMO STARS FOR A WELL DESERVED VICTORY.

Our football and league will benefit from private investment and professional management. These state sponsored clubs are run like your typical government parastatals with no incentive whatsoever to make profit. And football these days is big business. Also, the governors are not obliged to fund all the clubs activities. You need to hear stories of how the players are starved and treated.

I have never said that private investment is not welcome. I like what Remo Stars, Ikorodu and Sporting Lagos are doing - Sporting are now my second team. However, the emphasis should be on the quality of management - despite the seeming consensus, private enterprise is not always better managed. There are also stories of poor player welfare under private ownership.

Our most successful club locally and internationally is state owned. It has been better managed than several private clubs. The key is the quality of management, not ownership. For instance, I would rather have Enyimba under Governor Otti's (not necessarily directly) than under most Nigerian entrepreneurs. The league should set its standards and exclude any teams that do not meet such standards. A mandate to have only private ownership makes no sense.

What is Governor Otti’s motivation for being in charge of Enyimba FC? The man has left private enterprise to serve the country. And Football is now big business and needs businessmen to run it properly, not a civil servant who survives on handouts from the centre.

And yes, the state sponsored teams have been winning the league for years but they have been using state funds to run things. It’s time to hand over to the private sector.

Otti was an example, as was Offor. If Tony Elumelu wanted to take over Enyimba and gave assurances that he would maintain it's community bond (and for example not raid its assests) then why would I object when the competency requirement has been met. And no, the Nigeria private sector in general has done nothing to justify the almost religious faith we place on it.

[Enugu II]

My question for those still advocating for state ownership of our football clubs, name one, just one or the top teams in Africa that is state owned?
If you can’t, then you have your answer

In Algeria many of the top clubs are owned by government companies. In Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco, the top clubs receive substantial state subsidies. But that is not the point - my point is that competency in management should be the benchmark. And in Nigeria the private sector is very incompetent as well. I would choose a club run by Alex Otti's government over one run by Emeka Offor as a private entity.

Yes, competence can be found everywhere. However, consequences for incompetence differs. In government ownership, incompetence can be carried on for years and sustained because the market does not punish such incompetence as long as public fun ds continue to flow. Not so for private concerns, incompetence will be promptly weeded out by the market. That is important because one encourages competence while the other does not and I have mentioned previously several sectors in Nigeria where the stark difference is demonstrated.

Good that you mention some North African countries. What you fail to mention is how clubs like Zamalek and Ahly loath the fact that the state continues to interfere with the league. In Africa's Elite Football https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13477497, some contributors from North Africa mention this in their scholarly work. There are others. Of course, we may be comfortable with our football is today, but it also demonstrates missed opportunities and a reluctance to investigate a potential to create a much better and bigger football environment.

I have never been opposed to private ownership - if competent private investors come for Enyimba, then I will support it. What I don't agree with is this "private is always better" mentality. Both government and private clubs have failed in the past (Stationary Stores is one of multiple state owned teams that failed). You cannot be quiet when Enyimba, Rangers and Rivers United win and roll out the privatisation propaganda when Remo wins.

I like the fact that you are not opposed to it. Both have failed but the point being made is incentive to be successful is entrenched in private ownership. Some do not make it either because the environment prevents it or the individual lacks the capability. However, the incentive to be successful is clearly on the side of private enterprise. As for trophy winning (I guess that is what you allude to in mentioning Enyimba and Rangers),? I have never seen or used that as a measure of success. For me the measure of success should be profitability which in the long run will correlate with trophy winning. But just not yet. The Rrmo achievement is just icing on the cake but for me it is profit-making that is the ultimate judge.

For every Ahly or Zamalek complaining about state intervention, you have clubs in Saudi that are happy with it. The issue should never be ownership - the league should set the rules and be strict about compliance, irrespective of ownership. I flew Ibom Air, a state owned airline, last October for the first time, and I now fly it ahead of Air Peace, which is privately owned.

The test of Ibom Air is yet to come. We shall see how it fairs under multiple change of government. That is the bane of several of these state enterprises. We saw Nigerian Airways crumble because it was never run under business principles and that is often the bane of state-owned enterprises. Remember, before Ibom Air, there were several similar enterprises by the same state and they have disappeared under new governorship. One example that you should cite that overcomes all of that is Ethiopian Airlines which continues to perform even when owned by the state. But you do know why, I suspect

If private clubs must dominate, then they should do it the way Remo Stars, Ikorodu and Sporting have done it. They shouldn't rely on a ban on state owned clubs.

The evolution I prefer to see is fan ownership as we have seen in parts of Europe. If properly managed it can make the club management accountable to the fans and also make it aligned with community objectives. This insistence on private ownership as a magic pill will not work...the first point should always be about competence.

[aruako1]

My question for those still advocating for state ownership of our football clubs, name one, just one or the top teams in Africa that is state owned?
If you can’t, then you have your answer

In Algeria many of the top clubs are owned by government companies. In Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco, the top clubs receive substantial state subsidies. But that is not the point - my point is that competency in management should be the benchmark. And in Nigeria the private sector is very incompetent as well. I would choose a club run by Alex Otti's government over one run by Emeka Offor as a private entity.

Yes, competence can be found everywhere. However, consequences for incompetence differs. In government ownership, incompetence can be carried on for years and sustained because the market does not punish such incompetence as long as public fun ds continue to flow. Not so for private concerns, incompetence will be promptly weeded out by the market. That is important because one encourages competence while the other does not and I have mentioned previously several sectors in Nigeria where the stark difference is demonstrated.

Good that you mention some North African countries. What you fail to mention is how clubs like Zamalek and Ahly loath the fact that the state continues to interfere with the league. In Africa's Elite Football https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13477497, some contributors from North Africa mention this in their scholarly work. There are others. Of course, we may be comfortable with our football is today, but it also demonstrates missed opportunities and a reluctance to investigate a potential to create a much better and bigger football environment.

I have never been opposed to private ownership - if competent private investors come for Enyimba, then I will support it. What I don't agree with is this "private is always better" mentality. Both government and private clubs have failed in the past (Stationary Stores is one of multiple state owned teams that failed). You cannot be quiet when Enyimba, Rangers and Rivers United win and roll out the privatisation propaganda when Remo wins.

I like the fact that you are not opposed to it. Both have failed but the point being made is incentive to be successful is entrenched in private ownership. Some do not make it either because the environment prevents it or the individual lacks the capability. However, the incentive to be successful is clearly on the side of private enterprise. As for trophy winning (I guess that is what you allude to in mentioning Enyimba and Rangers),? I have never seen or used that as a measure of success. For me the measure of success should be profitability which in the long run will correlate with trophy winning. But just not yet. The Rrmo achievement is just icing on the cake but for me it is profit-making that is the ultimate judge.

For every Ahly or Zamalek complaining about state intervention, you have clubs in Saudi that are happy with it. The issue should never be ownership - the league should set the rules and be strict about compliance, irrespective of ownership. I flew Ibom Air, a state owned airline, last October for the first time, and I now fly it ahead of Air Peace, which is privately owned.

The test of Ibom Air is yet to come. We shall see how it fairs under multiple change of government. That is the bane of several of these state enterprises. We saw Nigerian Airways crumble because it was never run under business principles and that is often the bane of state-owned enterprises. Remember, before Ibom Air, there were several similar enterprises by the same state and they have disappeared under new governorship. One example that you should cite that overcomes all of that is Ethiopian Airlines which continues to perform even when owned by the state. But you do know why, I suspect

If private clubs must dominate, then they should do it the way Remo Stars, Ikorodu and Sporting have done it. They shouldn't rely on a ban on state owned clubs.

The evolution I prefer to see is fan ownership as we have seen in parts of Europe. If properly managed it can make the club management accountable to the fans and also make it aligned with community objectives. This insistence on private ownership as a magic pill will not work...the first point should always be about competence.

Trophies are the ultimate measure of success for football clubs. I'm happy to see state owned clubs make profit but it is not a deal breaker for me if it delivers public goods.

If Enyimba ran a loss but that loss is superseded by the direct and indirect jobs it creates, the feel-good sense that it brings and even other economic benefits that do not directly go to it, I am happy with it. For the record it is not happening the way it should.

Conversely, if someone bought Enyimba and turned a profit on it by pricing out local fans and turning it into a soulless franchise, I wouldn't like it. If profit was the motive should it be OK if the private owners took the Enyimba trademark and moved the club to Abuja? It would be an issue for me.

I think Remo Stars, Ikorodu and Sporting are trying to get the right balance, and I applaud them.

This ownership thing is very complex and the answer is never as easy as just saying, move it to the private sector especially in a country where privatisation of state owned assets has a very poor track record.

[Bigpokey24]

[Sunset]

SPORTNPFL: Remo Stars’ triumph challenges privately owned clubs – Amuneke
https://dailypost.ng/2025/04/29/npfl-re ... s-amuneke/#
Published on April 29, 2025 By Taiwo Adesanya


Heartland Technical Manager Emmanuel Amuneke has said that with proper planning and deliberate action, privately owned clubs can excel in the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL.


Amuneke made this remark in a congratulatory message to Remo Stars following their triumph in the 2025 NPFL title race.

The former Super Eagles forward urged Daniel Ogunmodede’s side to build on their success and strive to assemble a strong team for next season’s CAF Champions League.


“What Remo Stars have done is unprecedented and will continue to be spoken about for years to come,” Amuneke stated in his congratulatory message.

“I extend my congratulations to them and on behalf of Heartland FC, I am beseeching them to build on the success of the ongoing season to continue to wax stronger and strive to have a good team for the CAF Champions League next season among other competitions.

“What Remo Stars have done is throwing a challenge to privately owned clubs that they can also excel with proper planning and deliberate actions, just like what Kunle Soname has done with Remo Stars.”


DAILY POST reports that Remo Stars have become the first South-West club to win the NPFL title since Julius Berger in 2000, and the first privately owned club to do so in 20 years.

The now-defunct Udoji United were the last privately owned club to achieve this feat

[Sunset]