Ahmed Musa to play for free at Kano Pillars, says Shehu Dikko

Shehu Dikko, chairman of League Management Company (LMC), says Ahmed Musa will not be getting paid throughout his short-term deal with Kano Pillars. 

On April 13, the Super Eagles captain signed for Kano Pillars under the Elite Players Program of the League Management Company (LMC) — a scheme established to encourage Nigerian stars to play for home-based teams.

In a chat with ESPN, Dikko said Musa rejoined Pillars because he wants to give back to his boyhood club.

“We didn’t speak much about it. Musa is someone who is more concerned about giving back to the club that made him and he is not coming here to do this for money. He is not getting paid for playing for Pillars. That is the kind of person he is,” Dikko said.

“We spoke to him about coming back home to play, and as someone who is always ready to give back, he did not hesitate

“Once the agreement was signed, the choice of which club to play for was up to him. A number of clubs wanted him. We put everything in front of him and he made the decision to go to Kano Pillars.”

The NPFL chairman said he hopes Musa’s decision will encourage other top footballers to return and play for Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) clubs.

“I think there is an embarrassment among some of these players about coming back home to play, but I hope that with a player like Musa doing it, who is not only a top player but also captain of the Super Eagles, others will feel more comfortable doing the same,” Dikko said.

“Coming back home does not mean that they cannot return to Europe, but it is better than just staying there without playing games or staying at home.

“We would like to see players like John Ogu and Godfrey Oboabona come in and take advantage of the opportunity to elongate their careers while also boosting the league. Imagine if we had someone like Vincent Enyeama come in and what the young players could learn from him.”

Musa was unveiled by the club on Thursday and could play his first game when Pillars travel to Warri Wolves on April 28.