Nigeria Becomes First African Country to Implement Fifa’s DTMS

Nigeria Becomes First African Country to Implement Fifa’s DTMS

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has become the first member association of Fifa in Africa to implement the Domestic Transfer Matching System (DTMS).

The NFF’s compliance with the new system was facilitated by the custodians of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) and the League Management Company (LMC), which has been at the vanguard of innovative measures on the local scene.

World football governing body Fifa announced the switch to the DTMS online platform, which enables the various national federations, including the NFF, and the NPFL to better manage its international and domestic transfers via one system, according to Fifa.com.

NFF boss Amaju Pinnick. Image: NFF

The Zurich-based body has provided the platform – modelled on the International Transfer Matching System (ITMS) – to all 211 member associations and 6,500 clubs around the world for the cross-border transfer of players.

With the new system in place, the NFF and its clubs throughout Nigeria will more readily manage national and international transfers on one platform, generate transfer activity reports and have greater monitoring levels to enhance transparency and governance.

After this laudable move by the Amaju Pinnick-led football house, it is expected that other member associations from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will follow suit in bringing the African game up to speed and in line with international best practices.