Alabi Tolulope Raises Alarm Over Referees’ Pay and Bribery in Nigerian Football
A social media post by popular Sports analyst Alabi Tolulope on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, has sparked serious discussion about the welfare of referees in Nigerian football and the issue of bribery in the local leagues.
Tolulope, who had earlier shared figures suggesting that referees in the NNL and NWFL receive close to ₦200,000 per match and those in the NPFL earn ₦600,000 or more, later admitted that the payment structure is not straightforward.
According to him, three Nigerian referees contacted him privately after his first post to share their experiences. He said he immediately deleted the earlier post after reading their messages.
One referee reportedly said:
“Nigerian league referees are poorly paid. NPFL doesn’t pay up to ₦150,000 as match indemnity. NNL only pays about ₦70,000 per referee, and from that ₦70,000, we are expected to remove transportation costs ourselves.”
Another referee explained that while some officials may receive amounts close to or even above ₦200,000 in the NNL and over ₦500,000 in the NPFL, the money does not come from official payments.
“You’re not far from the truth. NNL and NPFL referees can get close to or more than ₦200,000, and NPFL can go beyond ₦500,000 per match.. but not from official payments. We survive on what clubs give us. When clubs don’t win, they sometimes demand their money back.”
He described the unofficial payments as “PR,” which he said is simply bribery.
A third referee added:
“If bribery doesn’t stop, nobody will talk about increasing referees’ pay. Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials know that referees collect bribes, so they are not interested in increasing our indemnity. From experience, NFF will not see the need to raise pay because they KNOW referees get huge sums as bribes.”
Tolulope said he was shocked by the revelations. He explained that he had initially believed referees were well paid, not knowing that what makes the earnings look high includes money allegedly given by clubs.
He said the discussion must now focus on one key question: how to eliminate bribery among Nigerian referees.
Among the solutions he suggested are a review and increase of official match indemnities, prompt and transparent payments made directly to referees, and setting minimum payment standards — ₦200,000 per match for NNL and NWFL officials and ₦500,000 for NPFL officials.
He also called for strict punishment for any referee found guilty of bribery, including suspension, lifetime bans and public accountability.
According to him, the current situation creates pressure on referees. In some cases, when a club gives money and does not get a favourable result, they reportedly demand a refund. This, he said, can force officials into compromising matches.
Tolulope added that some referees may feel trapped in the system, even if they are uncomfortable with the practice. He described the issue as not just a football problem but a wider system failure.
He also pointed out that no Nigerian referee has officiated at recent AFCON tournaments, describing it as a worrying sign.
He concluded that the development of the NNL, NWFL and NPFL cannot happen without credible officiating. According to him, Nigerian football must pay referees properly, protect their dignity, eliminate bribery, enforce discipline and restore integrity in order to regain respect at home and abroad.
