*By Michael Odetunde*

Sponsoring of journalists to cover both local and international  tournaments is one of the ways Nigeria Football Federation has been encouraging sports journalists who are covering Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL)

Board members of the Nigeria Football Federation representing South South region, Hon. Nse Udofot Essien made this known during the Super Interview on Nigeria Sports WhatsApp group, *Sports World platform

The Special Adviser on Sports to Akwa Ibom State Governor pointed out that that, there a lot of private and individuals journalists NFF sponsored to cover the just concluded AFCON in Ivory Coast. 

"We had a lot of private or independent journalists which NFF sponsored into this tournament and it's not just the AFCON also in other major tournaments. We do this very often and that's the only way we can encourage them" Hon. Nse said. 

He added that, it's not just AFCON tournament the NFF used to sponsor individual journalists but also doing it very often sponsoring them to other major tournaments. 

The Chairman, FC One Rocket then stressed that, this is the only way the NFF can do to encourage individual journalists who cover NPFL and other local tournaments in Nigeria. 

He said, it is going to be very difficult to employ them because NFF have their own media department.

"It's going to be difficult to employ them , because we also have our own media department under employment" He concluded