We’re happy to present an up-to-date ranking of the 10 richest footballers in Nigeria and their current worth as of 2022/2023. (in millions of dollars).
Football is, without a doubt, one of the world’s most lucrative occupations, and the players are paid astronomically for their efforts.
Most of the highest-paid Nigerian footballers sign weekly contracts worth thousands of dollars.
Many people find this number to be obscene, assuming that it has little to do with the amount of effort put in by these footballers. Many of them also earn money from the licensing of their likenesses and the purchase of their goods.
Some Nigerian football players have been able to make significant contributions to their teams at the highest levels of international competition.
Their ability to earn huge salaries and incentives is directly tied to their ability to perform in these high-end settings.
That their enthusiastic admirers rush to any of the best betting sites in Nigeria to place a wager on their favorite Nigerian soccer player’s side to win comes as no surprise.
Thus, the issue arises as to who are the richest footballers in Nigeria?
In this piece, we’ll examine a number of the best and highest-paid footballers Nigeria has ever produced.
The top ten wealthiest Nigerian footballers were determined by tallying up the total net worths of all the players included on the list.
Please join us as we delve into the fascinating roster of wealthy football heroes from from Nigeria.
Top 10 Richest Footballers In Nigeria 2022/2023
Check out Nigeria’s richest footballers!
| Rank | Richest Footballers In Nigeria 2023 | Estimated Net Worth |
| #1 | Mikel Obi | $61 million |
| #2 | Odion Ighalo | $44 million |
| #3 | Obafemi Martins | $42 million |
| #4 | Victor Moses | $26 million |
| #5 | Ahmed Musa | $19 million |
| #6 | Emmanuel Emenike | $16 million |
| #7 | Victor Anichebe | $16 million |
| #8 | Yakubu Aiyegbeni | $15 million |
| #9 | Anthony Ujah | $11 million |
| #10 | Vincent Enyeama | $8 million |
| #11 | Taye Taiwo | $8 million |
| #12 | Alex Iwobi | $8 million |
| #13 | Peter Osaze | $7 million |
| #14 | Kelechi Iheanacho | $6 million |
| #15 | Victor Osimhen | $3 million |
15. Victor Osimhen Net Worth: $3 Million
- Name: Victor Osimhen
- Date of Birth: 29th December 1998
- Role-Playing: Forward
- State of Origin: Edo state
- Transfer worth: €50 million
- Marital Status: Single
- Awards: Marc Vivien Foe Prix 2020
At only 22 years old, Victor Osimhen’s inclusion on our list of the richest footballers in Nigeria is both surprising and exceptional, given his wealth and prominence in the country’s footballing world.
His football career began in Nigeria, and he has since risen to become one of the most exciting young prospects in the continent of Europe.
His ability and potential are evident, which is why Napoli moved quickly to sign him for a stunning €50 million, plus some other add-ons to his contract, in the summer of 2015.
Osimhen rose to popularity as a result of his remarkable performance at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2015. Following the competition, he signed a contract with the German club Wolfsburg.
Things did not go as planned at this club, and he was subsequently loaned out to Charleroi in Belgium for the remainder of the season.
His form as a striker improved while he was at this club, which led to a move to Lille. In his first full game for Lille, he scored twice in the first half.
After that, he didn’t look back, and his efforts earned him a record deal with the Italian club Napoli.
14. Kelechi Iheanacho Net Worth: $6 Million
- Name: Kelechi Iheanacho
- Date of Birth: October 3rd, 1996
- Role-Playing: Forward
- State of Origin: Abia state
- Transfer worth: €20 million
- Marital Status: Single
Kelechi is another young gun who once plied his trade with Manchester City, one of the richest football clubs in the world.
He progressed through the club’s development system to become a number nine, however, he was only Aguero’s backup striker.
Due to his restricted playing time as a result of the signing of another striker in Gabriel Jesus, he left the club for Leicester City in a £25 million transfer.
Kelechi had the best goal per game ratio in the English Premier League until he joined Leicester City, averaging a goal per game.
His transfer to Leicester not only boosted his sporting prospects, but it also increased his financial worth tremendously.
So far, his tenure with Leicester City has been fruitful, with seven goals in as many outings.
Still, with age on his side, Iheanacho has a lot to give, as well as earn, in order to ascend this list of the richest footballers in Nigeria.
13. Peter Osaze Odemwingie Net Worth: $7 Million
- Name: Peter Osaze Odemwingie
- Date of Birth: July 15th, 1981
- Role-Playing: Winger, Forward
- State of Origin: Aviation state
- Transfer worth: Free
- Marital Status: Married
- Awards: Premier League Player of the month
Peter’s national career is more well-known than his club one, despite the fact that he was successful on both levels.
As a striker/winger, the Russian and Uzbek-born player began his professional football career in Nigeria with Bendel Insurance in the Nigerian Premier League.
After a brief stint with the club, he relocated to Belgium before settling in Lille, France.
He originally drew the attention of a number of European clubs when playing for Lille, where he scored 26 goals.
CSKA Moscow was able to entice him away from the club with a hefty contract. He was transferred to West Bromwich Albion after a succession of spectacular performances for CSKA Moscow.
Because the Premier League is the most lucrative league in the world, he made a fortune from this move. In England, he kept up his strong form, winning three Player of the Month accolades for the club.
After West Brom, Peter had a journeyman career, playing for more than four clubs and making a lot of money via contracts and endorsements.
12. Alex Iwobi Net Worth: $8 Million
- Name: Alexander Iwobi
- Date of Birth: 3rd May 1996
- Role-Playing: Winger
- State of Origin: Delta state
- Transfer worth: €30 million
- Marital Status: Single
- Awards: CAF Youth player of the year, CAF Team of the Year
Iwobi was previously regarded as one of the richest footballers in Nigeria. He is a young player with superstar potential after graduating with honors from the Arsenal Football Club academy.
He has, however, failed to live up to the club’s superstar billing to date. As a result, the club decided to transfer him to Everton for £28 million.
Between 2015 and 2019, he played in 100 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 11 goals in the process.
His exit from the club in the summer of 2019 was due to a string of inconsistencies in his performance.
Iwobi has shown glimpses of what he’s capable of since joining Everton in the English Premier League, one of the top football leagues in the world. His contract, on the other hand, is still in effect, earning him a spot on this list of Nigeria’s wealthiest footballers.
11. Taye Taiwo Net Worth: $8 Million
- Name: Taye Taiwo
- Date of Birth: April 16th, 1985
- Role-Playing: Left-back
- State of Origin: Ogun state
- Transfer worth: Free
- Marital Status: Single
- Award: Third best player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Taye Taiwo is one of the most traveled footballers on this list of richest footballers in Nigeria with a career spanning almost two decades.
So far, he has plied his trade in almost every continent in the world. Anywhere football is played, Taye has been there.
Taye’s talent was first spotted during the FIFA U-20 World cup in the Netherlands, which featured the likes of Lionel Messi, one of the top 20 richest soccer players in the world, Di Maria, and Mikel Obi.
Taye Taiwo was awarded as the third-best player for the tournament, coming in behind Lionel Messi and Mikel Obi.
He quickly joined with Olympique Marseille in the French Ligue 1 after the tournament. Taiwo was famed for his amazing left-foot shot power, which would leave most goalkeepers for dead.
He was also a free-kick expert, scoring multiple long-range worldies. Between 2005 and 2011, when he moved to Marseille for a new challenge, he made 192 appearances for the club and scored 17 goals.
While his net worth skyrocketed as a result of the transfer, his playing time fell after only four appearances for AC Milan.
10. Vincent Enyeama Net Worth: $8 Million
- Name: Vincent Enyeama
- Date of Birth: 29th August 1982
- Role-Playing: Goalkeeper
- State of Origin: Akwa Ibom
- Transfer worth: Free
- Marital Status: Married
- Awards: CAF Champions League Player of the year 2003 and 2004, Isreal Footballer of the year 2009, Prix Marc Vivienne Foe 2014, Goal Nigeria player of the Year.
Enyeama is one of the legendary Nigerian internationals who represented the Nigerian national team for 13 years between 2002-15.
Enyeama is a great Nigerian international who played for the national team for 13 years, from 2002 to 2015.
Enyeama is recognized for his agility and flexibility in goal, which helps him keep a variety of shots out of the net.
Though he was well-liked on a national level, his club career was not as well-liked until he moved from Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv to Lille.
While at Lille, all eyes were on him as he took over for another renowned goalkeeper. During his stint with Lille, he achieved a club record for the most consecutive clean sheets, going 11 games without conceding a goal.
He also came within one game of breaking the Ligue 1 clean sheet record. The contract, which primarily increased Vincent’s net worth and pushed him to be one of the richest footballers in Nigeria, was mutually canceled by both the club and Vincent.
9. Anthony Ujah Net Worth: $11 Million
- Name: Anthony Ujah
- Date of Birth: October 14th, 1990
- Role-Playing: Forward
- State of Origin: Benue
- Transfer worth: €2 million
- Marital Status: Single
Despite not playing for any of the top clubs he joins, Ujah always did his best to make enough earnings through his hard work for the respective teams he played for.
Launching his football career from his roots here in Nigeria, Anthony progressed rapidly to become wanted by a host of clubs in Europe.
Ujah eventually decided to join Lillestrom on a four years contract. This contract was the foundation on which Ujah built his net worth.
After his hot scoring streak for the club, Ujah was subject to a transfer to Mainz the following summer.
The poor streak which saw Mainz in a relegation battle at the end of the season forced him to move to FC. Koln on loan.
He returned to Mainz, played in Liaoning in China, and returned to the German Bundesliga a year later to Union Berlin.
Most of the contracts he signed with these clubs earned him enough to have a place on this list of richest footballers in Nigeria.
8. Yakubu Aiyegbeni Net Worth: $15 Million
- Name: Yakubu Aiyegbeni
- Date of Birth: 22nd November 1982
- Role-Playing: Forward
- State of Origin: Ogun state
- Transfer worth: Free
- Marital Status: Married
- Awards:
Yakubu Aiyebbeni comes in next on the list of the richest footballers in Nigeria.
Yakubu, often known by his moniker ‘Yak,’ is well-liked in Nigeria for all the wrong reasons.
This is due to his egregious blunder against South Korea in a crucial World Cup qualification match in 2010.
Despite his career’s many ups and downs, he still made a lot of money.
He is also one of the most prolific goal scorers in the history of the Nigerian national team, having scored 21 goals in 57 appearances for his beloved country.
Speaking of his club career, which has made him one of Nigeria’s wealthiest footballers, Yak began his football career at the grassroots level before traveling abroad to pursue a successful career and earnings.
During his journeyman career, he scored 36 goals in 78 games for Portsmouth, 25 goals in 73 games for Middlesborough, 25 goals in 82 games for Everton, 11 goals in 20 games for Leicester City, 17 goals in 30 games for Blackburn Rovers, 24 goals in 43 games for Guangzhou Evergrande in China, and a few other clubs.
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7. Victor Anichebe Net Worth: $16 Milion
- Name: Victor Anichebe
- Date of Birth: April 23rd, 1988
- Role-Playing: Forward
- State of Origin: Anambra
- Transfer worth: Free
- Marital Status: Married
Victor Anichebe is one of the few Nigerians that started out their career from the youth system of top clubs in Nigeria.
He started out well with the Everton first team, pulling strings of wonderful performances for the club until he received a bad tackle from Kevin Nolanup in a league game.
This terrible tackle ended his game on the night, as well as kept him out for up to a year. These sorts of injuries are career-ending, and as such, he opted to sue Nolan for damages.
They decided to settle out of court and he returned to play for his beloved football club. Victor never remained the same after he returned from the Injury.
After scoring just 18 goals in 131 appearances for the club, he was deemed surplus to requirements and sold to West Brom.
Victor earned what he could at West Brom as he made 55 appearances and scored 6 goals for the club.
Next, he moved to Sunderland where he scored just 3 goals in 18 appearances before finally settling in Beijing Enterprise in China.
His weekly salary at China earned him more than he had throughout his career. This helped boost his net worth massively and earned a position among the richest footballers in Nigeria.
6. Emmanuel Emenike Net Worth: $16 Million
- Name: Emmanuel Emenike
- Date of Birth: 10th May 1987
- Role-Playing: Winger
- State of Origin: Delta state
- Transfer worth: Free
- Marital Status: Married
Emenike is fondly remembered for the massive role he played in helping the Nigerian national team clinch the 2013 African cup of Nations which was held in South Africa.
His contribution to the national team during that period was unmatched by anyone on the team said at the time.
It can be said that his national team career was more glamorous than his club career, which saw him move from Delta Force of Delta State, one of the richest states in Nigeria, to a club in South Africa named Mpumalanga black aces.
After spending a year at the cub, he left for Karabukspor in the Turkish premier division.
It was during his time here that he got the attention of moderate clubs in Europe.
He was bought by Fenerbache in the summer of 2011, but couldn’t get to feature for the club due to a match-fixing problem with the club.
He was subsequently sold to CSKA Moscow in Russia. Currently, Emenike is without a club, but his net worth already earns him a place among the richest footballers in Nigeria.
5. Ahmed Musa Net Worth: $19 Million
- Name: Ahmed Musa
- Date of Birth: October 14th, 1992
- Role-Playing: Winger
- State of Origin: Jos
- Transfer worth: €13 million
- Marital Status: Married
Ahmed Musa is the 5th richest footballer in Nigeria. After scoring two goals in a World Cup match in 2014, he holds the record for most goals scored by a Nigerian international footballer.
He’s also the first Nigerian to score a hat trick in two different World Cup tournaments, in 2014 and 2018.
He was also a member of the African Cup of Nations winning team in 2013. Many Nigerian footballers wish they could match his national team’s achievements.
Despite beginning off at a domestic level, his club career has been nothing short of spectacular.
After a transfer from CSKA Moscow, he reached the pinnacle of his football career by making appearances for Leicester City. He is now playing for Al-Nassr, a Saudi Arabian club.
4. Victor Moses Net Worth: $26 Million
- Name: Victor Moses
- Date of Birth: December 12th, 1990
- Role-Playing: Wing Back
- State of Origin: Kaduna
- Transfer worth: €15 million
- Marital Status: Single
Victor Moses is next on the list of the top 10 richest footballers in Nigeria.
Moses is a beloved character among Chelsea supporters after helping the club win the English Premier League while playing as a right-wing-back for the club.
Victor Moses’ football career began slowly, with stops at Crystal Palace, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City, and West Ham United before landing at Chelsea and becoming a fan favorite.
One positive element of his movements to several clubs is that his earnings stayed consistent.
Victor Moses is presently on loan at Inter Milan, having joined the club in the summer of 2019 on loan from Fenerbache.
At the end of the season, he helped Inter Milan finish second to title winners Juventus. Someone with such a brilliant career on a national and international level deserves to be among the richest Nigerian footballers today.
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3. Obafemi Martins Net Worth: $42 Million
- Name: Obafemi Martins
- Date of Birth: October 28th, 1984
- Role-Playing: Forward
- State of Origin: Lagos
- Transfer worth: Free
- Marital Status: Married
- Awards: CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year: 2003, 2004, Chinese FA top Goalscorer
Obagoal is one of the footballing legends which Nigeria has produced in the past 2 decades.
He is best remembered for his time at Inter Milan as a speedster and forward who loves driving with the ball close to his feet.
His time at the club was so successful as he won the Italian Serie A, Italian Cup, as well as the Italian Super Cup. After spending 5 years at the club with 28 goals, he left the club for Newcastle in the English premier league where he spent another 3 years.
After his time at Newcastle, his career turned into something of a tour around the world. He played for numerous clubs such as Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan, Birmingham, Levante, Seattle Sounders, and so on.
His net worth is solid and obviously, he is one of the richest footballers in Nigeria.
2. Odion Ighalo Net Worth: $44 Million
- Name: Odion Jude Ighalo
- Date of Birth: June 16th, 1989
- Role-Playing: Forward
- State of Origin: Edo state
- Transfer worth: €15 million
Odion Ighalo is the 2nd richest soccer player in Nigeria.
This is one man who has built his football career gradually until he finally reached the peak after he moved to Manchester United in a loan move from China.
When Manchester United came knocking on his door, it was an offer he couldn’t pass on due to his love for the club long before he even became a professional footballer.
Today, he is a proud Manchester United footballer, and playing for one of the richest football clubs definitely has incentives it brings with it.
Ighalo’s career has been a success story ever since starting out at Julius Berger in Lagos State.
Throughout his career, he moved from one club to another as his duty demands him, and he does most of it with all his heart because such is the professional that he is.
Ighalo recently got displaced from the top of this list of the richest football players in Nigeria by one other footballer.
And today, he is one of the stars representing Manchester United at club level. He is simply blessed.
1. Mikel Obi Net Worth: $61 Million
- Name: John Obi Mikel
- Date of Birth: 22nd April 1987
- Role-Playing: Midfielder
- State of Origin: Jos
- Transfer worth: Free
- Marital Status: Single
- Awards: CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year: 2005,
We’re glad to announce to you that Mikel Obi is currently the richest footballer in Nigeria today.
He is one of the Nigerian national team’s most devoted and longest-serving captains.
He also has a lot of silverware to show for his performance with the national squad, including a silver medal at the 2013 African Cup of Nations and a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics.
His club successes are certainly something to be envious of, as he has a slew of trophies and honors to his name.
He had the most success at club level with Chelsea, winning two English Premier League titles, three FA Cup titles, one UEFA Champions League title, one Europa League title, one Turkish cup, and so on.
He is by far the most successful Nigerian international and known to be one of the richest footballers in Africa.
His successes at the club and international level also translated into his net worth, earning massive amounts in weekly salary and bonuses.
More so, his decorated career is however yet to be unmatched by anyone on this list.
Summary of The Richest Footballers In Nigeria
All of the highest-earning football players in Nigeria are listed here.
All of the listed footballers are currently contributing members of their teams’ rosters.
People who are interested in the wealth of Nigerian players will find the answers they seek here.
Here’s a quick recap of the top 10 richest Nigerian football players:
- Mikel Obi
- Odioh Ighalo
- Obafemi Martins
- Victor Moses
- Ahmed Musa
- Emmanuel Emenike
- Victor Anichebe
- Yakubu Aiyegbeni
- Anthony Ujah
- Vincent Enyeama
- Taye Taiwo
- Alex Iwobi
- Peter Osaze
- Kelechi Iheanacho
- Victor Osimhen
The wealth of professional football players is more evidence of the sport’s thriving economy.
The richest football players in Nigeria have obviously worked hard to get where they are, a position that any ambitious footballer would covet.
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