Did you know that the highest-paid player in the Nigerian Premier League earns over ₦1.2 million monthly? While the salaries may not match the top European leagues, some of the NFL’s top players are well rewarded. This guide provides a list of the top 10 highest-paid players In Nigerian Premier League.
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List Of Highest Paid Players
Ranking | Player | Current Team | Monthly Salary (₦) |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sikiru Alimi | Remo Stars | 1,300,000 |
2 | Theophilus Afelokhai | Rivers United FC | 1,200,000 |
3 | Godwin Obaje | Abia Warriors | 1,000,000 |
4 | Gambo Mohammed | Katsina United FC | 850,000 |
5 | Nyima Nwagua | Rivers United FC | 750,000 |
6 | Kelly Kester | Bendel Insurance | 750,000 |
7 | Junior Lokosa | Sporting Lagos | 700,000 |
8 | Cyril Olisema | Akwa United | 700,000 |
9 | Namso Edo | Akwa United | 700,000 |
10 | Ikechukwu Ezenwa | Katsina United FC | 600,000 |
1. Sikiru Alimi
Remo Stars’ forward, Sikiru Alimi, is currently the highest-paid player in the Nigeria Premier League. He earns a monthly salary of N1.3 million Naira, which is approximately $826.
Alimi has been putting In the real work, recording 21 appearances, scoring 11 goals, and providing 3 assists In the 2023/2024 NPFL season.
His consistent presence, coupled with his ability to contribute to goal-scoring opportunities has made him a key player for Remo Stars.
Alimi’s current market value has reached a peak of €200k as of July 31, 2021. Despite his success on the field, Alimi’s disciplinary record remains clean, with no yellow or red cards received In the season so far.
2. Theophilus Afelokhai
Theophilus Afelokhai is a Nigerian goalkeeper currently playing for Rivers United. He has won many Nigeria Professional Football League titles and also has played Kano Pillars and Enyimba.
In 2020, Afelokhai joined Rivers United. He’s one of the highest-paid players in the Nigeria Professional Football League.
Fans say he’s like a good luck charm for winning league titles. Some even joke that he should join Manchester United Football Club to help them win more.
Afelokhai won his seventh Nigerian League title with Rivers United in the 2021/2022 season. He’s also played in big African competitions like the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.
Afelokhai is known for his great saves and stopping shots. He’s quick and good at defending against one-on-one situations.
He got his first chance to play for the Nigerian national team in 2018. This was because the first-choice goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, got injured. Afelokhai was also part of the Nigeria squad for the 2018 African Nations Championship.
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3. Godwin Obaje
One of the highest-paid players in the Nigeria Premier League is Godwin Obaje, who was born on March 12, 1996. Obaje is a Nigerian footballer known for his role as a striker for Enugu Rangers.
In his career, Obaje has had notable stints with various clubs. In 2015, he joined Slovak side Trenčín. During the 2016 season, he emerged as the top scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League, netting an impressive 18 goals.
In the same year, he also had a trial with Spartak Moscow, a Russian top-flight club. In 2019, Obaje moved to JSK Kairouan in Tunisia. Following this, in 2020, he returned to Nigeria to play for Abia Warriors.
4. Gambo Mohammed
In the Nigeria Premier League, one of the highest-paid players is Gambo Mohammed. Gambo currently plays as a forward for Katsina United F.C.
His professional football began when he joined Kano Pillars from Buffalo F.C. in 2006. Since then, he’s been a standout player for Kano Pillars, scoring more than 60 goals in league and cup competitions.
Gambo’s impressive performance caught the attention of Turkish club Samsunspor in 2012 after he scored 15 goals in the Nigerian league and 5 goals in the Cup that season.
Although he was close to joining Tunisian club Club Africain in July 2013, negotiations fell through. Despite facing setbacks due to injury post-2015, Gambo remains a valuable player to his team.
Even on the international stage, former coach Samson Siasia called him up to the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, for a tournament in America. Unfortunately, the competition got canceled, and Gambo couldn’t make his debut.
In March 2013, he was named as an unused substitute in a 1–1 draw against the Kenya national football team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Later that year, he was selected by former Nigerian coach Stephen Keshi to represent Nigeria in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Gambo made history by being one of the eight locally-based players chosen for the tournament and the only striker among them.
On July 6, 2013, Gambo scored his first international goal for Nigeria’s B team in the CAF CHAN qualifier against Côte d’Ivoire at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna.
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5. Nyima Nwagua
One of the highest-paid players in the Nigeria Premier League for the 23/24 season is Nyima Nwagua, who plays as a Centre-Forward for Rivers United FC. He joined Rivers United FC on September 1, 2021, from Kano Pillars.
Nwagua’s performance data showcases his significant contributions to the team, making him one of the most valued players in the league.
Nwagua has made 21 appearances, scoring 5 goals and providing 3 assists so far in the league. He has also received 3 yellow cards throughout the season. His goal participation rate stands at 74%, with 60% of his appearances being in the starting eleven.
6. Kelly Kester
Kelly Kester is one of the highest-paid players in the Nigeria Premier League. His skill, experience, and leadership make him invaluable to Bendel Insurance and the league as a whole.
Kester, whose full name is Kester Oahimijie, is a defensive midfielder. He’s a big guy, standing at 1.93 meters tall. Kester has played for several teams before joining Bendel Insurance. Having started at Shooting Stars, then went to play for Ha Tinh FC before finding his way back to Nigeria.
Kelly’s market value, which shows how much he’s worth in the game, has been as high as €50k. He signed with Bendel Insurance on July 24, 2023, but we don’t know when his contract will end.
Even though he doesn’t score many goals or make a lot of assists, he’s a key player in the team’s defense. Kester has played in 10 games in the NPFL 23/24 season. While he may not always be in the spotlight, his presence is felt by his teammates and opponents.
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7. Junior Lokosa
Junior Lokosa is another player on the highest-paid list In the NFL, playing for Sporting Lagos F.C. Lokosa began his career playing for First Bank before moving to Kano Pillars in May 2017.
During his time with Kano Pillars, he scored five goals in 14 league games by the end of the 2017 season. By the midway point of the 2018 season, he had already netted an impressive 14 goals in just 15 matches.
His exceptional performance attracted clubs abroad, leading to trials with Bulgarian club Ludogorets and Norwegian club Brann in May 2018.
After the 2018 season, Lokosa won the Eunisell Boot Award for finishing as the top scorer in the Nigeria Premier League with 19 goals.
This achievement earned him recognition and a cash prize of N3.8 million, with N200,000 awarded for each goal scored.
Following his success in Nigeria, Lokosa went on trials in China before securing a move to Espérance Sportive de Tunis on January 14, 2019. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Tunisian club.
However, his stint with Espérance Sportive de Tunis came to an end on July 30, 2020, when the club announced his departure via their official Twitter account.
In addition to his club career, Lokosa has also represented his country on the international stage. He made his debut for Nigeria on May 28, 2018, in a friendly match against DR Congo.
8. Cyril Olisema
Olisema commands one of the highest salaries in the NFL. Olisema has established himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in Nigerian football
Currently playing for Al-Kawkab Club, Olisema joined the team on September 3, 2022. His football career includes stints with other notable clubs like Enyimba Aba and Akwa United.
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9. Ikechukwu Ezenwa
Ikechukwu Vincent Ezenwa is a retired Nigerian goalkeeper. Ezenwa started playing professionally with Ocean Boys F.C.
Then he moved to Heartland F.C. and later joined Sharks F.C. After Sharks, he played for Sunshine Stars F.C. and moved to Ifeanyi Ubah F.C.
In 2017, he joined Enyimba International F.C. briefly before returning to Heartland F.C. His final stint was with Katsina United F.C. in 2019.
Throughout his career, Ezenwa also represented Nigeria in international competitions. He played for the Nigeria U-20 and U-23 teams before joining the Super Eagles.
Ezenwa was part of Nigeria’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and played a crucial role in the team’s matches against Cameroon during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Pataka is a consistent and avid follower of the round leather game. He communicates his passion by editing soccer posts for various soccer platforms.