Afrobeats star and entrepreneur Mr Eazi has renewed the push for direct financial rewards for Nigerian footballers, inviting clubs in the first and second divisions to join the Locker Room Bonus programme, which offers ₦50,000 to every player after a victory.

Mr Eazi, betPawa ambassador made the call on X, formerly known as Twitter, urging clubs interested in the initiative to contact the organisers.

“By the way if your team is in 1st or second division of Nigerian football and you want to be part of our @LockerRoomBonus program that gives N50k to every player directly after every game won, contact us directly let’s go,” he posted.

The latest offer comes against the backdrop of the programme’s earlier introduction to Nigerian football through a partnership between betPawa and the leadership of the Nigeria National League (NNL).

The initiative was introduced to provide direct performance-based financial rewards to players following victories, with the scheme gaining attention for ensuring that beneficiaries received their bonuses shortly after matches.

Under the arrangement, players were rewarded for winning performances rather than having the incentive absorbed into general club finances.

The initiative was subsequently expected to be extended beyond the NNL to other segments of Nigerian football, including the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO) and the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL), in a broader attempt to improve player motivation and welfare across the domestic game.

However, its proposed application in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) became a contentious issue, with concerns raised in some quarters over the possibility that direct win incentives could create integrity and match-fixing risks in the country’s top-flight competition.

According to sources, the now disbanded NPFL management ultimately did not embrace the scheme, reflecting the delicate balance between providing players with additional financial incentives and protecting the integrity of professional football competitions.

The concerns did not, however, bring an end to the wider initiative, which has continued to feature in discussions around player welfare and innovative ways of rewarding footballers across Africa.

Mr Eazi’s latest intervention could therefore represent a renewed attempt to extend the model to more Nigerian clubs, particularly teams outside the NPFL.

The proposed ₦50,000 payment would be made directly to each player after every match won by a participating club, potentially providing a significant additional incentive during the course of a long domestic season.

For players in the NNL and other lower divisions, where financial challenges and delayed remuneration have historically been major concerns, the additional income could provide meaningful support.

The scheme could also revive discussions about extending similar benefits to women’s football, where players often operate with significantly smaller financial resources compared with their male counterparts.

The earlier plans to extend the initiative to the NWFL and NLO had been viewed as an opportunity to make performance bonuses more inclusive across Nigeria’s football pyramid.

The latest announcement, however, does not automatically mean that every first- or second-division club will participate. Interested clubs must contact the organisers and presumably meet the programme’s participation requirements.

The initiative has its roots in a broader African sports reward model backed by betPawa and promoted by Mr Eazi, with the objective of putting performance bonuses directly into the hands of athletes.

Its Nigerian chapter became particularly prominent through the NNL, where the payment of bonuses after victories generated considerable interest among players and football stakeholders.

With Mr Eazi now openly inviting more first- and second-division Nigerian clubs into the programme, attention will turn to whether the initiative can achieve a wider footprint while addressing the integrity concerns that previously surrounded its potential adoption by the NPFL.

For Nigerian footballers, the prospect of receiving ₦50,000 immediately after every victory could represent a welcome financial boost and another incentive to perform, provided the programme is implemented transparently and with appropriate safeguards to protect the integrity of competitions.