Kano Pillars’ Dismal Performance: What The Government Must Do

November 4, 2025 Abdullahi Yusuf

By Shehu Adamu

The current administration of Kano Pillars FC has come under mounting scrutiny from stakeholders and fans alike. As the club navigates the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, it has become clear that structural, managerial, and governance issues are undermining its competitiveness and reputation. In light of these challenges, there is a compelling case for dissolving the existing management board and instituting comprehensive reform. Below are the key reasons for this call and an analysis of the club’s current standing in the league.

1. Dismal Performance in the Ongoing NPFL

One of the most visible issues is the club’s on‐field performance. While Kano Pillars were once among the elite in Nigerian football, their recent results reflect a decline. According to league standings, they occupy one of the lower positions in the NPFL table (for example, seen on sources such as Flashscore). This slump raises serious questions about leadership, strategy, and effectiveness of the management in translating resources to results.

When a club of this stature is underperforming, it signals that the board’s oversight, player recruitment, coaching appointments, and operational support frameworks are not working optimally. For the fans, sponsors, and the broader Kano football community, continued under-achievement is unacceptable.

2. Inexperience of Most Board Members to Manage an NPFL Team

Beyond results, the composition of the board itself is concerning. Many of the members reportedly lack the professional background required to run a top-flight football club. Running a club in the NPFL demands not only passion for football but also strong business acumen, knowledge of player-markets, regulatory compliance, sponsorship and revenue generation, football-operations experience, and strategic planning.

When board members are inexperienced, mis-decisions become more likely — from hiring the wrong staff, failing to invest in infrastructure, neglecting youth development, or mis-managing finances. The negative ripple effect is seen in both performance and institutional stability.

3. Over-Sized Board Membership

Another structural fault is the size of the board. Best practice in club governance suggests a board should be lean yet effective — typically a minimum of five and a maximum of seven members, including the chairman. However, evidence suggests the current board of Kano Pillars far exceeds this recommended number. This large size leads to inefficiencies: overlapping roles, diffused responsibility, slower decision-making, and less accountability per individual.

A bloated board dilutes the clarity of the mandate, makes coordination harder, and often enables collective inertia. Unless governance is trimmed and streamlined, the club remains vulnerable to internal confusion and weak leadership.

4. Supervision by the Office of the Executive Governor Instead of the Ministry

Given the club’s importance in Kano State, both socially and politically—many stakeholders argue that the oversight of the club should be elevated. Currently, the club falls under the supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The suggestion is that it should instead be supervised by the Office of the Executive Governor.

Such a shift could bring several benefits: higher-level visibility, faster decision-making, stronger political will, enhanced accountability, and the club being viewed as a strategic state asset rather than simply a sports entity. It could reinforce that the club serves the public interest, not just a sporting or recreational interest.

5. Need for a Functional Auditing System (Transparency & Accountability)

For any professional club, transparent financial management and accountability are non-negotiable. Kano Pillars has been repeatedly linked to incidents of fan misconduct, regulatory penalties, and institutional disorder — all of which point to weaknesses in governance.

A functional auditing system — internal and external audits, clear financial reporting, publication of accounts, oversight of sponsorship, ticketing, and merchandise revenues — is essential. Without it, there is risk of mismanagement, lack of trust from sponsors and supporters, and ultimately, erosion of the club’s credibility.

6. Appointment of Non-Partisan and Professional Board Members

Closely tied to the above is the composition of the incoming board. There is a clear need for board members who are non-partisan, focused purely on the club’s best interest, and who bring professional expertise in football club management, finance, marketing, infrastructure, legal/regulatory matters, and corporate governance.

The current structure appears to suffer from political interference, lack of full professionalism, and perhaps appointments based on affiliation rather than merit. To restore confidence and deliver results, the board must be re-constituted with individuals who are both capable and independent.

7. Clear Role for the Team Manager to Avoid Friction Between Him and the Board

In addition to governance at the board level, the management team requires clear operational roles. With the appointment of a new team manager for Kano Pillars. It is vital that there is a clearly defined role, responsibilities, and reporting structure. Without this clarity, friction is inevitable between the team manager and the board, between technical staff and administration, and ultimately, this friction translates into instability for players and performance.

Board-manager overlap, micro-management, or unclear mandates undermine smooth operations. A professional football club must have well-defined lines of authority and accountability.

8. Fan Club Education to Prevent Hooliganism

A football club thrives when its fans are engaged and supportive — but fan misconduct can be extremely damaging. Kano Pillars has, in past seasons, suffered sanctions because of fan behaviour. It is therefore essential the club’s fans’ club is educated, oriented and held accountable: ensuring members “are abreast with the rules of the game” (both within match play and within stadium conduct) so that no form of hooliganism leads to penalties, points deductions or harm to the club’s reputation.

Fan discipline, codes of conduct, collaboration with security, and good communication between club and fan groups are all vital.

9. Analysis of Current NPFL Position of the Team

According to the most recent standings, Kano Pillars are in a precarious position. Standings on sites such as Flashscore indicate they are near or at the bottom end of the NPFL table for the 2025-26 season.

Although exact point totals and games played may vary, the fact that they are in the lower reaches of the table is unacceptable for a club of their heritage. Even more worrying is that this poor league form comes amid the leadership issues outlined above; meaning the problems are not just technical on-the-pitch but structural off-it.

For a club previously finishing ninth in the 2024-25 season under the previous board. The downward trend is clear. Unless management reform is undertaken swiftly, the club risks further decline, possible involvement in relegation battles, loss of supporters, sponsors, and stature.

CONCLUSION:

The call for the dissolution of the current management board of Kano Pillars FC is not speculative. It is grounded in observable structural failures, governance weaknesses, poor performance, and a current league position that is precarious.

Re-establishing the club on a sound footing will require:

Dissolve the current board and appoint a lean, professional, non-politicised board (5 –7 members maximum).

Supervision of the club elevated to the Office of the Executive Governor for stronger oversight.

Implementation of robust internal and external auditing systems for transparency and accountability.

Clear definition of roles for the Team Manager and operational staff to avoid internal conflict.

Active engagement and education of the fans’ club to curb hooliganism and protect the club’s reputation.

Immediate strategic planning to address the drop in league performance, or risk further decline.

If these reforms are not enacted swiftly, Kano Pillars risks slipping further into obscurity. But if the state government, stakeholders and club leadership act decisively, there is an opportunity to reset the club’s trajectory and reclaim its rightful place among Nigeria’s football elite.