Nigeria Leagues
NPFL finally get September 30 kickoff date, new prize money and take-off grant
By Wale Mustapha
The board of Nigeria Premier League, NPL have announced Saturday, September 30th as the official kickoff date for the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL season.
In a letter to the clubs, the Chief Operating Officer, COO of the league, Davison Owumi on Monday, all the 20 participating clubs have been notified of the date and have been asked to prepare for it.
The release also added that the eventual winners of the league will get a whooping sum of #150million naira which is a 50% increase from last season’s prize money, while also confirming take-off grants of a total of ₦200m to the clubs.
“The 20 clubs will, as was done last season receive a take-off grant of Ten Million Naira (₦10,000,000) each to smoothen your operations as the season starts,” the letter reads.
“We are therefore expecting the Clubs to as a matter of urgency forward their respective account details to the NPFL Secretariat for the transfer of the said amount as the season is set to commence on Saturday, September 30, 2023.”
On the prize money, the letter also clarified that: “After due deliberations by the Chairman and our Strategic Partners, it was agreed that the Prize money, since that is what connotes the true value of the league, be reviewed upwards to ₦150million”.
The letter also addressed some of the Marketing concerns and assured the clubs that the NPFL Board would at all times take decisions and enter into contracts that serves the best interest of the league and the clubs.
“Be rest assured that we will at all times be guided by the very best interest of our league and by implication, the participating Clubs”, the COO clarified on the proposed a ten-year partnership for broadcast rights.
“We remain very hopeful that they or other prospective partners will show up since talks are still ongoing. Any success achieved, will enlarge the economic frontiers of the league and by extension the clubs as we progress.”
Enyimba emerged Nigerian champions after winning the NPFL Super Six playoff held in Lagos following the 2022/2023 abridged season earlier in the year.
The coming season will be a straight league and expected to be more competitive.