Adoption of Human Resource Accounting Practices in State-Owned and Privately Managed Football Clubs in Southwest Nigeria

This study examines the adoption of Human Resource Accounting (HRA) practices among state-owned and privately managed football clubs in Southwest Nigeria. Using a comparative survey design, primary data were collected from ten football clubs, five state-owned and five privately managed, operating across the six states of Southwest Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to 78 key personnel. Multiple regression analysis, independent samples t-tests, and chi-square tests were employed to analyse the data. Findings reveal that HRA adoption is at an early and informal stage across all sampled clubs, with privately managed clubs demonstrating significantly higher awareness and partial implementation compared to state-owned clubs (t(76) = -8.13, ρ < .001). The regression model explained 68.1% of variance in HRA adoption (R² = 0.681, F(5,72) = 30.74, ρ < .001), with ownership type (β = 0.521), accounting expertise (β = 0.298), and funding stability (β = 0.187) as the strongest predictors. The study recommends regulatory mandates, capacity building, governance reforms, and international standard adoption to accelerate HRA implementation in Nigerian football.

Human Resource Accounting, Football Clubs, Southwest Nigeria

1. Abolo, A. P. (2022). Human assets accounting and financial performance of listed commercial banks in Nigeria. BW Academic Journal, 27-27. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Acheampong, E. Y., Akwaa-Sekyi, E. K., & Frimpong, R. (2024). Identification of sport talents through leisure activity: a pathway for achieving football commercialization. Leisure/Loisir, 1-29. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Adegbayibi, A. T., Oyedokun, O. I., & Adedokun, R. A. (2024). Human Resources Accounting and Financial Performance of Listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. Human Resources, 15(3), 37-50. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Ani, K. J., Onu, J. C., & Anyanwu, T. C. (2024). Challenges undermining sports for development in Nigeria: focus on Football transformation. RBFF-Revista Brasileira de Futsal e Futebol, 16(66), 515-526. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Bapir, A. K. (2025) The Value of Human Resource Management in Enhancing Sport Clubs' Operational Efficiency. Sciences Journal of Physical Education. 18(1), 517-547. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Brummet, R. L., Flamholtz, E. G., & Pyle, W. C. (1968). Human resource measurement: A challenge for accountants. The Accounting Review, 43(2), 217–224. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Ejekwumadu, I. (2025). ‘Football is blood money’: blowing, soccer dreams and aspirational narratives of youth in neoliberal Nigeria. Cogent Social Sciences, 11(1), 2558082. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Gautam, D. K. (2021). Human resource accounting “our main asset is our people’. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry (TOJQI), 12(10), 5312-5318. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Getnet, D., Melkamu, Z., & Mengistu, S. (2025). Determinant variables that predict the performance of professional soccer clubs in Ethiopian Primer League. Retos: nuevas tendencias en educación física, deporte y recreación, (65), 545-558. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Hermanson, R. H. (1964). Accounting for human assets. Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Michigan State University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Likert, R. (1967). The human organisation: Its management and value. McGraw-Hill. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Maroun, W., van Zijl, W., Chesaina, R., & Garnett, R. (2022). The beautiful game: Fair value, accountability and accounting for player registrations. Australian Accounting Review, 32(3), 334-351. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Rahmadina, A. M., & Bhilawa, L. (2025). Financial Performance and Club Success in the English Premier League. AFEBI Accounting Review, 10(1), 1-17. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Rookwood, J., Gow, J., & Harris, T. (2026). Head Coach recruitment at multi-club ownership groups: examining the decision-making of Sporting Directors in elite men’s football. Managing Sport and Leisure, 1-19. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Rubio Martin, G., Manuel García, C. M., Rodríguez-López, Á., & Gonzalez Sanchez, F. J. (2022). Measuring football clubs' human capital: analytical and dynamic models based on footballers' life cycles. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 23(5), 1107-1137. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Sentie, W. A., Tiruneh, G., & Kebede, D. N. (2025). The impact of organizational and management variables on the performance of Sidama Bunna Football Club. Retos, 68, 212-223. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Tuncdogan, A., Dogan, I. C., & Barca, M. (2023). The size of the fight in the dog: The role of teams’ active human capital resources within the human capital-task performance relationship. Strategic Organization, 21(2), 380-399 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Uagbale-Ekatah, R., Okpechi, J. O., & Achaka, B. A. (2025). Human Resources, Accounting, and Financial Performance of Listed Health Care Companies in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Management Studies, 27(3), 175-197. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Yahaya, O. A. (2026). Employee welfare practices and organizational financial performance: A panel study. Journal of Accounting and Finance, 8(2), 100-142. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Is Strike Relevant in the Modern Era? Evidence from Indian Manufacturing, IT/Ites, FMCG, Electronics and Emerging Sectors
• A Qualitative Exploration of Work-Life Balance Among Private Universities Lecturers in Klang Valley
• Leadership Styles and Employee Motivation: Examining the Impact on Job Satisfaction and Turnover
• Human Resource Management, Organizational Culture, and Good Governance Practices: A Structural Equation Model on Service Orientation among Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation in Davao Region
• Cost of Silence: Exploring the Impact of Organisational Silence on Employee Engagement